When I found out I was pregnant with my daughter, I called my husband at work, and let him know that we were expecting, and we were ecstatic. We were young, married for a few years, and living in a small apartment. We were happy. We didn’t know what being a parent meant, but we couldn’t wait.

My husband took the role of father head on. He was changing diapers when she was a baby and taking our daughter to sports practice when she got older. When she showed interest in in-line hockey, he learned how to skate to become a referee and coach.

Twelve years later, my son came along. My husband was excited, talking about teaching him car maintenance and doing repairs around our home. And then we received the news of my son’s disability. This news affected me immensely. But my husband, he simply accepted it. He always tells me that my monkey is perfect, just as he is.

I know there are those few times that he does wish my son would play ball with him or learn how to change oil. But for the most part, my husband is happy, grateful for everything our children are.

I feel many times we put so much emphasis in us moms, focusing on our joys and our struggles. And many times, we put dads to the side. I can see it when I go and look for Father’s Day cards. The section is so small at CVS, yet Mother’s Day cards were over flowing back in May.

And I feel that we don’t give them the praise that they deserve. We don’t acknowledge them for all that they do. Yet they are always there in the background, ready to assist when needed.

My husband goes to the gym every day. When he is too tired, he will force himself to still go. He does this because he says he needs to be strong for my son. When my son has meltdowns, he needs to be held down, so he doesn’t hurt people. My husband is the one that can handle him with force and delicacy, all at the same time. My husband feels the weight, the need to be healthy and ready to assist, especially in our older years as my son gets stronger.

My husband is my rock. He is my mountain. He is the one that will hug me when I find myself struggling, and then turns around and fights alongside me in our ARDs to make sure my son gets the services he needs at school. He handles car issues, air conditioner leaks, and will turn around, get down on his knees, and gently speak to my son to try to figure out why he is crying. He will go to Marvel movies with my daughter and wait for her to come home after work at 1:00 in the morning to hear how her day went.

Last year, it was winter, I took my daughter’s truck to Chick-Fil-A to get some chicken nuggets for the monkey. It was late, cold, and dark. Since it is only a couple of miles away, I went in my PJs and socks, thinking I would go thru the drive thru, so no one would see me. As I am leaving the restaurant, the truck made a terrible noise and stopped working, in the middle of the street. It was late, not much traffic, which was a good thing. I called my husband, he shows up within minutes, pushes the truck to the parking area of the bank next door. As I get out, he tells me, “Take my car, go home, it’s too cold outside. I got this. I will take care of you.” And that is a glimpse of who he is.

On this Father’s Day, I want to thank you for everything that you do for us. Thank you for being my anchor when the winds are so strong they are pushing me out of our path. Thank you for being a role model to our children and teaching them what true love is.

If your dad could see you now, he’d be beaming with pride. ♥️

We love you.

Happy Father’s Day.💞