Father’s Day Weekend Reflections

Father’s Day weekend always brings a swirl of emotions, and this year marks the third one without my dad here to celebrate. What a remarkable man he was. The laughter, the security, the unwavering support — he fathered with a kind of excellence that left a permanent imprint on everyone lucky enough to be loved by him.

And for my daughter, whose biological father chose not to be part of our lives, my dad stepped in without hesitation. He didn’t just fill the role — he embodied it. He became her Poppa, her steady place, her example of what a real father looks like. She celebrated him every Father’s Day, and she celebrated me too, because under our roof I was both mom and dad, doing the work of two hearts with one body.

Even now, she still celebrates me on both Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. So here’s a shout-out to all the single parents out there pulling double duty. You deserve to be celebrated at least twice a year — honestly, probably more.

Today, though, we remember my dad — my daughter’s Poppa — with full hearts and happy memories of years past.

But life has a way of surprising us with new blessings. We have a new man in our lives now — my fiancé, who has become a father-like figure to Izzy. Watching the two of them together is its own kind of joy. They laugh, they tease, they bond over the silliest things, and their belly laughs echo through the house in a way that feels familiar… almost like someone we love is smiling from somewhere just out of sight.

Sometimes I wonder if my dad didn’t send this man our way — a gentle nudge from heaven to make sure we’re still looked after.

So whatever your situation is today, I hope you have had — or will someday have — a positive male influence (my daughter and I are lucky enough to have so rockin uncles) to celebrate or remember. And if you’re a woman out there doing it all on your own, go ahead and celebrate yourself today too. You’ve earned it.