(By Tara Mitchell, Guest Author)
It’s Father’s Day.
I’d like to thank all of the loving, hardworking, dedicated dads out there. They say, “Any male can become a father, but it takes a real man to become a dad.” And it’s true. Contrary to our society’s hyper-testosterone, steroidal, t-shirt tearing concept of what “manliness” is, I believe it is infinitely manlier to be the father who shows up with flowers to his daughter’s dance recitals. It’s much manlier to get your workout lugging the fishing poles and tackle box, sun block, animal crackers, buckets and juice boxes for a day out on the water with your children; as opposed to spending hours every day in the gym.
It takes more courage and daring to be the man who stands at the register with a box of tampons for his daughter for the first time, than it does to be a secret agent ala James Bond. It takes strength of the legs to run behind your son’s bicycle while holding onto his seat, and shouting “You can do it, big guy! You’ve got it!” It takes strength of will to let go of the seat, knowing that you need to let them try, and even sometimes fail on their own.
It takes a real man to sit down with his children and listen to them talk about homework assignments, school lunches, bullies, coaches, and super heroes. It takes a real man to accept his children for who they are, to encourage them to be everything they can be, to love them every step of the way.
Special love and thanks to my husband Julian! With all of this said, I would also like to send my very heartfelt admiration to the single mothers and fathers out there who bravely step up to the plate and take on the responsibilities of both mother and father. I love you, Mama. Also, my thanks to those grandfathers (I love you too, Gumpa), uncles, cousins, counselors, advocates (you know who you are “J”), and mentors out there who do their part in helping children along the way. It may not outwardly appear to be as macho as motorcycles, football, explosions, or spy gadgets, but in truth a father is the pinnacle of masculinity. So rock on, all you dads, daddies, papas, papis, paws, puppaws and so forth. Rock on!
Tara Mitchell, Guest Author





