A Different Generation of Fathers

Fathers today are very different than fathers of yesterday. The days of Leave it to Beaver, where dad is a fairly absent presence with the exception of mini lectures when needed is a thing of the past.

Earlier this week, after dropping K off at school, I ended up driving by a different elementary school and saw a dad walking, holding hands with his son ... who I'm guessing was a second or third grader. Dad was covered in tattoos, but the care in helping his son cross the street safely softened the rough external image. It made me reflect on D and some of his friends. Most importantly, how very present they are in their children's lives. They rarely, if ever, miss events. Quality time is spent snuggling with their children and being fully engaged. It's admirable and I feel so very grateful that children today get parents who are both equally responsible for their upbringing. (Of course, this isn't a blanket statement, as I know there are families that don't have the luxury of having both parents equally involved.)

But I've noticed a proliferation of involved fathers, whether it be the ones closest to me in my life, co-workers, or just noticing the role of dads in the grocery stores. There's still the over-stressed looking moms with multiple kids in tow ... but now, there's a significant number of dad's becoming the primary grocery shopper with the kids keeping them busy. With the increase of stay-at-home-dads steadily increasing, it will be interesting to watch our society continue to evolve.

P.S. Super excited that Minnesota became the 12th state to legalize gay marriage this week! While it's taking the country a long time to come on board, it's good to know the state I live in is willing to accept that love is love and that is what makes families stronger.