Father Figures: Mic Drop
“My dad did not raise his three daughters to be princesses. He also didn’t raise them to be tomboys. He raised them to be whatever they wanted to be.
Now as a new parent, I am endlessly astounded by how obsessed people are with gender roles when it comes to raising children.
Dad will always be my biggest support system and my #1 fan. Always taking an interest in what all his kids thought to be important. He was the first person who thought I was funny. That shaped who I became.
Just cause he was the fun parent (Yes offense, Mom) doesn’t mean he wasn’t in the business of raising good people, which is why I respect him most.
One night when I was 17 years old, I came home two hours past my curfew possibly wearing a new perfume called Mike’s Hard Lemonade. He demanded I hand him the new cell phone that they had bought me.
My first cell phone.
Then he took his hammer out of his tool belt and smashed my cell phone into a million pieces on our counter.
He turned to me and said, “I can’t possibly understand why I would be paying for this if you don’t even use it to call.”
*Mic Drop Dad Out*
That’s a completely factual story! You don’t mess with Dad.
He was the kindest, nicest, most fun parent around, but he demanded respect from us. No meant no and yes meant yes in our house. You weren’t going to change his mind by crying at him.
I can only hope to have that type of relationship with my sons.
Thanks Dad.”
Britt, You’re Somebody’s Mother
