I woke up this morning to the cheer of my kids wishing me Happy Father’s Day. They gave me a beautiful, hand written card along with a new pair of shorts for summer. (I have suspicion that their mother helped them with this one.)

I feel so honored to be Jonathan and Alexis’ dad. I’m not going to lie. Fatherhood has been a complete altering of the way I live life. It has been challenging and difficult at times. Nevertheless, I would not trade this privilege with anything else in the world. My wife and kids are the primary motivators for why I live the kind of life that I do. I love them dearly.

I often think about how I could become a better dad. Like millions, if not billions, of others around the world, I didn’t really have a father intimately involved in my life for most of my childhood. My parents divorced when I was young and since then, my relationship with my father has been at best cordial.

I have always known that my father loved me, but I now see that there were too many moments in my life when he wasn’t or couldn’t be around. Unfortunately, I have mentally blocked out some painful seasons of my life. This means that even if my father had been there, I don’t really remember. Honestly, I don’t think this kind of pain will ever go away.

I love my dad. Beyond his strong exterior is a man who has gone through so much in life and feels incredibly guilty about his lack of presence in my life, his only child. I know he’s limited in his ability to express his love to me, but I can see how he is slowly communicating his love through the way he treats our children. Thanks dad.

On this day, I remember not only my dad but the handful of men who came into my life at the right times to help me become the person I am today. These are individuals who went out of their way to model fatherhood and what it means to be a man. They taught me everything from putting on a tie to throwing a baseball to treating women properly. Some were friends of the family, colleagues, coaches, and leaders that I worked under. I will eternally be grateful for these men, my fathers. I understand that despite the relational obstacles presented in my life, I was fortunate to have people who cared about me when they didn’t have to.

For many, today is not a day of celebration, but rather, it’s a painful reminder of the void of a father in their life. My life experience gives me hope for these around the world. I know there are many who desire to fill this void. I’m one of these men. I want to become a model of hope and a source of encouragement to those who come into my life. I know that many of you do too.

So, cheers to all the fathers in the world!

Please remember that you’re input means the world to these growing up under your influence and love.

Thanks for being a great dad!