Celebrating Fatherhood
It’s the month we set aside a day to celebrate fathers!
That may look a little different for each of us. Whether your father is near or far, biological, adopted, a stepfather, a grandfather, a family friend you look up to as a role model, or even if you have lost your father, let’s take a moment to remember the men in our lives and the things they have taught us.
If your dad is from the Baby Boomer generation, chances are when it comes to Emotional Intelligence (EQ), he can read people well, but typically kept his emotions in check. Gen X dads and millennials may be a little more open to showing emotions from time to time. There have been many articles written and studies done on how the different generations navigate EQ and who does it “better”. The same can be said for the topics of empathy, stress and resiliency, and leadership. But, just for a moment, let’s look at the different ways our dads taught us these things.
Maybe your dad was a “tough it out” kind of dad. When you fell down, literally or metaphorically, he was the one saying, “brush it off, get back up and dry those tears”. Did he make sure you knew how to change your tire so you wouldn’t be stuck on the side of the road waiting for help to come? Or maybe he was the softy. The parent who did all the fun stuff. The one who built the blanket forts and read the bedtime stories. Either way, we learned early how to show, or not show our emotions, be empathetic, and resilient at a young age, in part by watching our dad.
As we celebrate Father’s Day, take a minute to remember your dad and tell him how much you appreciate him and all the things he taught you.
“I believe that what we become depends on what our fathers teach us at odd moments, when they aren’t trying to teach us. We are formed by little scraps of wisdom.”
-Umberto Eco
