As Father’s Day nears and we scurry through the Target fishing section to find the manliest present to give our ol’ man, let’s take a moment to reflect on the evolution of fathers.

If your dad is one of those reflective (“when I was your age, kid”) types, then you’ve probably tuned out a handful of times of when he looked back on what his father was like. From the 1950s onward, the fathers of our fathers were nothing short of hardworking, strict, tough-love guys who attempted to instill those same morals in our dads as soon as they could pretty much talk.

Decades later, our dads are about the most hardworking men you’ll ever know, but let’s face it, the modern dad is nowhere near the hard-asses our grandfathers were. In short, they’re the most embarrassing, hysterical, caring and lovable guys around, and that’s exactly why we love them.                              
Today, we see a new generation of fathers who struggle to keep up with technology and revel in successfully taking an appropriate selfie. Nowadays, we have to painstakingly teach them how to Facetime and watch them look at themselves the whole time rather than talk to you. They also love texting us and ending their texts with “love, Dad” just to clarify who the stranger is begging me to take out the trash and do my laundry.                  

They are avid proponents of Facebook and can now extend embarrassing us to cyberspace. They not only post the weirdest comments on your latest profile pic, deeming it hilarious in their own mind, but they also friend all your friends, exes, and some people you weren’t even remotely close to in high school (adding up to a total of 52 friends on their page.)                    

They even embrace pop culture almost as much as we do. Lately, it’s been quite the trend for dads to gain YouTube fame by posting insanely adorable videos that prove they are winning the fatherhood game. Any of those videos of dads lip-synching songs from Frozen can instantly capture the hearts of millions. But, let’s be real, the true winner is the one dad who preferred to lip-sync Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy” with his super-hipster daughter, topped with flat-bill hats and well coordinated shoulder rolls.       

They have a very, well, unique sense of humor. If your dad is anything like mine, he’s probably enjoys making lame jokes, but thinks his comedy has stand-up potential, despite the fact that he’s the only one laughing. Embarrassment also goes hand-in-hand with your dad’s sense of humor. Whether or not you’re with your friends or he’s meeting your new boyfriend for the first time, the man has no shame in completely mortifying you in front of them to make sure you stay humble.                               

Lastly, what most differentiates modern dads from those of the past is that they are our best friends, our biggest supporters and our greatest role models. They taught us that dads aren’t just “the men of the house.” They are the ones who attend your piano recitals, coach your soccer teams, escort you at your sorority formal presentation and walk you down the aisle at your wedding. No matter how embarrassing they can be, they are unlike anyone else in your life.                    

This Father’s Day, give your ol’ man a break and thank him for everything he’s done for you – whether it's with a card, dinner, or on a social network that he doesn’t even remotely understand.