With Father’s Day around the corner, we should reflect on how to appreciate the important men in our lives. In case you needed a reminder, here’s a compilation of the men you should definitely remember to thank on Sunday.
1. Dad.
How could dear old dad be anywhere but number one on the list? Don’t forget to thank your dad for how amazing he is. He was there from the beginning. He cut your umbilical cord (if he didn’t pass out in the delivery room). He held your hand as you took your first steps and taught you how to ride your first two-wheeler. He taught you how to throw and catch; he carried the weight of your world when you had a break down applying for colleges. He has always been there and will always be your number one fan. Thank him for all of his love, generosity, support, and how could we forget, the endless dad jokes; after all, you wouldn’t even be alive without him!
2. Family members.
Uncles, grandpas, even older cousins, these are the people that we look up to and that we grow up around. They’ve been there from the beginning, too – okay, not the cutting-your-umbilical-cord beginning, but probably out-in-the-waiting-room beginning. Make sure you thank these family members for the good family times, the advice, and the wonderful examples they set for you. These people show you how family functions and how special these bonds can be. Celebrate the wonderful times you’ve had with them and the ones to come.
3. Mentors.
Remember your high school softball coach, that professor who you got coffee with endless times to not only discuss your final paper, but also life, and even your boss. These men teach you lessons that, if they aren’t already, will be crucial in the real world. Discipline, respect, communication, networking, and maybe even teaching you to stay away from the wrong crowd, are all parts of life these men instilled in you. Don’t forget to thank them for their hard work – it will pay off eventually, I promise!
4. Friends' dads.
Shoutout to those dads who disciplined you like you were one of their own, but also treated you to ice cream when you, your friend, and his/her siblings were well behaved. Thank them for keeping up on who’s dating who (and why that’s a problem – hello, why don’t the boys/girls realize what a catch you and your bestie are?), coaching you in basketball, never batting an eye when they find you passed out on the basement couch, and making you dinner a countless number of times.
5. Family friends.
Cue Mom and Dad’s friends who you’ve known forever; thank you for being the cool “uncle” who I could blab to about pretty much anything and you won’t tell my parents. They show up when you need them too, and are already there when you didn’t know you needed them. Celebrate these guys for giving an adult perspective without judgement (as long as you’re being relatively safe, of course).
Here’s a shoutout to all of the father figures in my life: I couldn’t be where I am without you; thank you for putting up with (or participating in) all of my shenanigans. Special shoutout to my dad: I love you with all my heart and will forever be your little girl.
