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Life as a black man in America isn’t easy. Time and time again, history has shown us that our men are devalued, disrespected and stigmatized in the most damaging ways.

As a woman who didn’t grow up having a good relationship with her father, some would expect me to have harsh words for the man that gave me life. I don’t. I’m not mad at him or what he did. I don’t think I know enough about my father to judge his choices. Don’t get me wrong: He made a lot of bad choices. But I don’t know what his personal life experiences were like or how they shaped him.

What I do know is the type of man my husband is. I know that his dad died when he was 7 and that his mom did everything she could to shape him into a good man. I love and appreciate her for that. Every day I see him interact with our two kids, I thank God for blessing me with a man who knows what fatherhood is about. His presence in their lives during these formative years means the world.

So as we approach Father’s Day, we have to take the time to show all the great fathers our there some love. Fatherhood isn’t easy, and the cost for messing up is high, but so many men show up in their kids’ lives and do the right thing daily. They are fully present—impacting their children in the most meaningful ways.

So join us in honoring and celebrating all the fathers in our community who give their children what they need to thrive in life.

Here are nine reasons why we love our dads.

 

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1) Ready to have a good time.
There are so many things to love and appreciate about our dads, and one of them is definitely his ability to let loose and have fun. Sure, kids want to be taken care of and protected, but they also want memories filled with joy and laughter. A dad who’s willing to laugh at himself and have a good time is a winner in our book.