6 Dads for 6 Fathers Days – For Dadadadad.

This will be my sixth Father’s Day without my own dad.

So, I did something yesterday to honour him. I chose six dads in my life who I admire. Whose parenting and fatherhood I have personally had the privilege of witnessing. They’re shining examples to me, of what a dad really is. In each of them, I see a bit of my own dad. Moreover, they’re people I know my dad would have welcomed over for a whiskey anyday. These people are my friends, my confidantes and my proud co-conspirators in life things.

I made a few rules for myself though, so that I’d have to apply my brain and my heart correctly, and do this mission a little justice:

1)I was not allowed to be related to any of them in any way. We were not to have any family connection whatsoever.

2) Also, I had to know them in both a professional and personal context. They’d have to be people I knew through work, and knew as friends. I’d need to be able to contextualise their parenting within the full scope of their life.

3) Lastly, they needed to – to me – epitomise the transition that someone takes from being a father to being a DAD. I had to have knowledge of something they’d done or do in their lives that highlights them in that transition.

When I applied those criteria, the list of names was instantly clear.

So, after giving it some thought, I sent each of them an email. In it I told them what I was doing and why I chose them. I then went on to bore them *haha* with my perspective on their fatherhood. As I always was a daddy’s girl, it helped me heal. It reminded me that paternal love exists and flourishes in a world gone mad on narcissism and greed. In a world of broken homes, hectic schedules and loveless lives, they helped me remember the great love I was raised in. And the great love I live my life on.

So, here they are. My 6 Dads for 6 Father’s Days:

Marc Forrest

Alan Haarhoff

Garsen Subramoney

Cameron Olivier

Scott Dunlop

Byron Rode

Thank you for being part of my healing, my friends. Because your awesomeness enabled me to feel okay about missing my dad on Father’s Day. I see a little bit of him in each of you, and I thank you.

Happy Father’s Day to every dad I know. Happy Father’s Day to the dads who can’t be there. Happy Father’s Day to the dads who are actually moms too. Happy Father’s Day to the moms who are actually dads too. Happy Father’s Day to the dads who adopted their children. Happy Father’s Day to the grandpas who have stepped in and become dads again. Happy Father’s Day to the dads in my life. Happy Father’s Day to my brother. Happy Father’s Day to my very own dad.

Thanks dudes, for letting me do this. Big love, Papas I admire.