What It Means To Be A FATHER To 3 Boys

Alert! Alert! HUBBY HIJACKING!!!

Hey y’all! I’ve breached the system and am taking over! Well, I mean, she asked me to write this….so….

Anyway, in honor of Father’s Day, Kim asked me what it means to be a father and SO many things come to mind. But first, some background. I have never met my biological father. Growing up it was always just me and my mom. She had her share of boyfriends and a couple husbands, but I can’t put my finger on too many positive things that they impressed on me. So when I became a father, I was pretty darn clueless. I was so worried that if I made a poor decision that it would ruin my child forever. I still get frustrated with myself when I lose my cool with the Ox tots. That them seeing me break would set them up to be rage filled teenagers or something odd like that.

Good and Bad (or no) Examples

Since I didn’t have a distinguished father figure in my life, there weren’t too many examples or traditions I had in my mind that would help me get through “learning opportunities” or certain situations that parenting brings along. I DID have plenty of positive male role models in my life, so I’m grateful for all of them and the impact they all had in my life. I’m not going to name them all but collectively, they taught me about gentleness, kindness, empathy, perseverance, commitment and how to reach for a goal.

I was also taught about honor, courage and commitment (yes, again) in high school when I was in the Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps for all 4 years. I’m not gonna pretend like that is even a sliver of what it’s like to be in the real deal Marine Corps, but it was beneficial for me becoming a man.

Boys vs. Girls

So how that aaaaallllll relates to me being a parent to 3 boys, is that I’m here to shape them and help them change the world. Being a father to girls is much different than boys. I feel like being a father to girls, you would have to clue them in on how guys can be at times. To try to help them understand guys from a first-hand perspective. But besides helping them and being there to protect them and build up their strength, that doesn’t immediately affect the state of men in our day and age. If and when she pops out some grandsons, then I’m sure she’ll take what you taught her and what she learned on her own and help shape her boys.

Being A Father to 3 Boys

But being a father to 3 boys, that’s the prime chance to create some change in men. In my opinion (and yours can be different, that’s the joy of opinions), I think that over time men have gone from a few bad eggs to some guys are jerks and now to most guys are jerks. Call me crazy, but I feel like that’s the case. So I want to be a part of the change FROM ‘most guys.’

Since I never met my father, I have it burned into my mind to NEVER give up on my family. It was the only constant when I was a child until now and even, I’m sure, as I’ll grow old. It’s my hope, passion, and life goal to raise my boys to be good men. No matter what they do or where they go, I just want to know they’ll do the right thing. I’m not setting expectations and won’t love them any less if they make a poor choice. We all do. I just want to instill honor, courage, commitment, gentleness, perseverance, kindness, and empathy (and why stop there?) in my boys and to be there for them so they have a father to talk to. So they have a father to ask questions, and so they have someone to look up to, like I never did.

What it means…

Being a father to 3 boys means the world to me. It’s the most important job a man could have. What’s amazing is it’s also the most rewarding. Being a father to 3 boys has made me better and overall content with life. Happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there and if you’re a mom, then pass this one along to a dad. We’d love to hear about what it means for YOU to be a father. Thanks.

Follow MAC on IG for more adorableness about being a father to 3 boys! While you’re at it, check out more of his writing from Josiah’s birth story here!