This One Is For The Dads

Husband. Father of my offspring. Baby Daddy. Bringer home of the bacon. Grass waterer. Designated bottle opener. Human jungle gym for children. Master of perfectly timed farts.

Our protector.

We’ve been together for over a decade now. I’ve watched you grow up alongside me. We started out as lovey-eyed youngsters who couldn’t keep our hands off each other, to struggling through our 20’s as we figured out how to survive in this world together, to screaming excitedly into the phone when we found out a baby was on the way, and again a few years later when we found out about the second one.

I knew you when you had a head full of hair. When you could pretty much squeeze through a closed door. When you got 8 hours of sleep at night and had no one to financially support.

I’ve watched as from the moment I became pregnant you became concerned with my well-being and that of our baby. I watched you do everything you could for me the day I gave birth to our son. I saw the worry in your eyes as you witnessed me in the worst pain of my life, and then experienced the highest elation with me when we looked into the eyes of our baby.

I watched you speak to our son for the first time and his little newborn head turned in your direction, as if he knew exactly who you were. And that that was the beginning of one of the most precious relationships in your life.

I watched you sit up in bed during the night to check on our babies; you would always put your finger under their noses to make sure they were breathing. I watched you change multiple diapers a night after I would nurse the baby, and then watched you get ready for work early the next morning.

I’ve watched you come home with toys for the kids because it’s the highlight of your day to see them smile. I’ve watched you put on capes and run around the house with fake swords and silly stories. I’ve watched you play with all of the kids on the playground. I’ve seen the joy in your eyes as you show your children this world and all that it has to offer.

I’ve also seen you slumped over at the kitchen table, piles of bills laying in front of you. I’ve seen you try to massage away the tightness in your shoulders before going to sleep at night. I’ve seen you hustle and strive to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. I bet you feel like you go under the water sometimes and can’t breathe, all so your family stays afloat.

I’ve watched you age since becoming a father; the dark circles under your eyes, the lines on your face, the hair that’s thinning. And I have to say, I find it all sexy as hell.

Because you're the stuff good men are made of. You make me and our children feel safe. I know we're on your pedestal. When I ever think about what life would be like without you, it's not a pretty picture. For starters, you know our technology game would be majorly lacking without you around here. There'd be less laughing over fart jokes. There'd be no husband and giggling boys to jump out of closets to surprise me. Our yard would definitely go to crap. I wouldn't know which superhero movies were coming out. There would be no strong arms to hoist children up onto shoulders, no human horse rides a hundred times around the house.

But more importantly, there would be a love lacking in this house. A love that can only come from a good father.

And there would be no one keeping us afloat.

To all the good daddies out there: you're amazing, you're strong, you're valued, you're seen, and you're sexy as hell. Keep it up, soldiers.

He gives to them
What he never received
I am so overwhelmingly proud
Of everything that he's achieved
There's a little boy on the inside
Learning how to do all of this for the first time
Creating a new generation, a new way
What a beautiful soul
I am so blessed to know.
Thank you for all that you do
Especially for giving our boys
Someone to look up to.
- Jess

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Jessica Dimas is the author of the book "Sacred Self-Care for the Highly Sensitive Mom." Follow along on Facebook and Instagram to stay updated with future posts.