Entering a new phase of fatherhood, I felt the need to honor the passage in some form. Rituals are scarce these days, but markers along the path serve, in some way, those who follow. The path opened when I noticed the words, ones that I’ve said so many times, appeared different: “The boys.” They will always be “the boys,” but somehow they’ve become men. When you are in it, truly in the process day-to-day, the revelations of bigger markers hit you and you find yourself wondering: “When did that happen? Where did the time go?”

Baby faces and soft peach fuzz have given way to strong jaws and fields of stubble. And my electric trimmer, a present from a distant Father’s day, is consistently missing in action. But that’s a story for another day. Today is about first steps in new territory. I became a father when the internet was in early childhood. Babies’ cries and the screeches of dial-up internet access are echoes in the memory bank.  And fatherhood has been the only thing in my life I have ever been sure of. Nothing carries the weight of certainly like hearing “Dad.” It has been life’s gift to me for in the foothold the role provides, everything else becomes that much clearer.

This space is to be shared with fathers—and mothers for a parent’s role is holy ground. While it is one father’s path, I hope the entries inspire, help, entertain, and provide a connection, mirroring the role that can evoke the gamut of emotions all in a typical day.

Welcome.