“Being a father is the most important thing I will ever do and I wholeheartedly embrace everything this means. My two daughters, ages 15 and 16, are everything I could wish for – kind, smart and pretty well-adjusted. This is a combination of who they are naturally and the love and support poured into them by my wife and I, family and friends, coaches, and their schools.
Parenting is a work in progress – art and grind. What is successful one day fails the next. What is best for one kid may be the opposite of what the other needs. And, just when I it seems that I’ve figure something out, things switch up again. Every stage of their development presents a new set of tests. My attempts at meeting these challenges are seldom perfect but I try my best because in the end I simply want them to become the best possible versions of themselves.
In our home we talk a lot about politics, race, gender, as well as regular teenage stuff like music, school work, and friends. One of the most challenging things of late has been to explain why this country is spiraling, specifically leading up to and since the November election. I try to provide some historical context and reassure them that we will get through these dark times as well, although I know this not true for everyone. I try to impress upon them that we have an obligation to always stand with, and for, marginalized people and the issues we care about. Even at their young ages, they are have a strong social consciousness and are active in this emerging social movement. This makes me proud and gives me hope for the future.”
