My husband and our kids from last fall.

You know what’s funny? A lot of people who see the title of this blog will think that I put it there with a sarcastic tone. You all know the one I’m talking about, right? A woman rolls her eyes and says “Men.” in a very condescending manner and everyone grunts or chuckles in agreement.

Well, those moments are certainly valid in certain scenarios, but that’s not where I’m going today. Since Father’s Day is coming up, I just wanted to write about how much men do for us.

I just want men out there to know that they are appreciated. It’s hard to be a good father, and for those of you who make a valiant effort to be there for your children, those said efforts don’t go unnoticed.

My mom was single and raised us. I did see my dad on a regular basis, so I can’t relate to those who don’t have a father in their life, but I think we all turn out just fine if we don’t have a male role model in our lives. However, having a positive relationship with a father figure can make a world of difference for children. It helps them to feel loved, have confidence, and gives them essential coping skills for life. The role of fatherhood is very important and I’m grateful to all those men out there who take their role seriously.

I know of plenty of stories of men dealing with wives who are being irrational for one reason or another. I wonder if they get credit for being able to handle those situations. I mean, let’s face it ladies, we are scary when we’re feeling emotional!

Sometimes I wonder how my marriage survived the pregnancies. I’m generally a level-headed kind of person. Even when I feel emotional, I can usually talk my way into calm if I can logically explain something to myself. But I was a totally different person when I was pregnant. It’s quite embarrassing to look back and see how I reacted to some things. It was like another person had control over my emotions.

Boy, am I glad that stage of life is over for me (and I daresay my husband is too!). But I’m very grateful to my husband for trying to be so understanding, even when I didn’t understand what had me so upset myself.

I know my kids are grateful that their dad takes the time to play with them when he gets home from work. I know he’s probably tired and would love to just sit back and relax when he’s home, but he finds the energy from somewhere to chase after the kids and wrestle with them. It’s so sweet to watch, plus it gives me a little break. 🙂

I know that there are plenty of men out there who do the same for their kids, and I hope they all know what an amazing gift they are giving. Their kids are going to grow up feeling loved. It can’t get any better than that.