Being a Dad, Is it Important?

Hello and Welcome Home!

I have always wanted the experience of being a Dad or even being a Father. I know it may sound like the same thing, but I believe there is more to it than that. Being a first-time Father was hard but being a first-time Dad? Well, that is something I am still learning, and I have three kids now.

Kids at the Zoo! Fun, Fun, Fun.

Being a Dad takes more.

Any man can be a Father, but it takes lots of practice and a lot of fatherly mistakes to learn what it is to be a Dad. The role of a Father has its importance, but the role of a Dad means something deeper. As a Father, I did my duty, I played my part in bringing our three lovable kids into the world. As a Father, I do my due diligence to support my family and to make sure we have what we need to pay the bills. 



Here is a reality check, the stuff I listed above, in my honest opinion, has nothing to do with being a Dad. Being a Dad takes something different. It takes time, it takes emotion, it takes sacrifice, and I truly believe it takes faith.  

Dad and Son together in a photo!

I don't say this to say that being a Father isn't important. Because it is. Being a Father is one of the most important things a man can do. Being a Dad takes the role of a Father to an entirely different level.

The world will tell us that the definition of Father is the same as the definition of Dad, well at least according to the Meriam-Webster dictionary. The truth is though there are fundamental differences. 

Being a Dad means something deeper.

When I claim to be a father, I refer to the fact that "oh yeah, I have three kids of my own and my wife and I work together to take care of them." When I claim to be a dad, I refer to the fact that "I have kids, I love them dearly, and they mean the world to me, without them my wife and I would be lost." Do you see the difference?

A Dad and his two BEAutiful girls?

There is an underlining depth to the way I describe myself as a dad that is not really there when I describe myself as a father. I have honestly never really thought about it until recently, but every time I speak of my kids from the fatherly perspective, it's second nature. Every time I speak of my kids from the daddy's perspective, there is this depth to what I'm saying. Even as I write this today, I feel the urge to 'tear up.'



It's not because one is better than the other. It may appear that I'm trying to say that being a dad is more important than being a father,  but I am not. To be a Father means taking responsibility for your actions and for your family. To be a Dad means taking fatherhood to a deeper level. It means looking beyond what the world tells you to be and becoming something else.

Being a Dad is Being a Father while accepting and embracing all that comes with it.

There are ups and downs in life, for me, there have been more than I would like. I'm sure it's that way with everyone who read this. For me, being a Father has been life-changing, but being a Dad has changed my entire outlook on life.

The Whole family at a concert in the park!

My kids need a Father to take care of them, but they need a Dad to be there for them when they are sad. My kids need a Father to provide what they need in the physical world, but they need a Dad to show them the light in a broken world.

Being a Father has it's placed in that world too, but Being a Dad is something that we dads learn every step of the journey our kids take us on.

Living by faith, with our family;

M.E.