Our struggles

Quite a bit of weight has been put upon your shoulders, hasn’t it? Why don’t you lay your burdens down, because the truth of the matter is, at some point, you were going to drop them anyways.

Falling is inevitable; it’s what makes us human: our inability to do everything perfect.

So, when you fall face first into the ground as you’re raising your son or daughter, don’t be disheartened but don’t pretend it didn’t happen either. It’s okay to struggle. Our struggles form our characters and make us stronger than we were before. It has long been taught that the strength of a man lies in his ability to maintain an air of perfection, around his family, his job, his community, but as we’ve come to find out, strength comes from when we admit we’ve messed up. Embrace the areas of your life that feel broken or sub par so that you can begin to repair and develop them. Your child won’t mind walking beside you through it all.

Think about the times you struggled with your own father. Did he own up to his own mistakes and shortcomings or did he hide them? Which would you prefer?

Don’t hide your weaknesses

Hiding our weaknesses can become incredibly toxic. Think about how hard it is to reason with or help someone who won’t admit their wrongs. Communication becomes strained and almost impossible because the other person has to walk on tiptoes wondering when they’ll accidentally set off a landmine when all they want to do is love and encourage you.

So, give yourself a break. Not to shy away from responsibility or avoid accountability but to remember that you’re human; to allow honesty and humility to fill your life so that you can better love your child, your spouse, and yourself.

Megan Freeman
Be The Dad Movement contributor