Father’s Day, like other Hallmark holidays, is dramatically different for everyone, depending on what your story is.
And there are so many stories.
Joys. Heartbreak. Wisdom. Abandonment. Adventure. Rejection. Belief. Loss.
Today I’d like to offer a way to celebrate fatherhood in a way that is inclusive of everyone.
No matter what your story is with fatherhood and no matter what your beliefs or values. Let’s just jump right in.
What you need
- Sheet of paper
- Pen
- Open mind and heart
What to do
- Grab a sheet of paper and tear it in half – whichever way feels right for you.
- On one of the sheets, jot down some keywords that pop into your mind about what fathering means to YOU.
- This could be anything that is important to you, and it doesn’t matter why it feels important. Just jot it down.
- Once you’ve written down a few words, glance over them and notice which one or two really stand out as being positively meaningful for you.
- Circle or highlight them.
- Before you reach for the other piece of paper, take a moment to sit back and think about the words you circled.
- Think of a time in your life that you experienced those words.
- It’s okay if the memory doesn’t seem really obvious at first.
- Just notice the first instance that pops into your mind.
- Allow yourself to re-experience it, take in the details and see what you notice.
- On your other piece of paper, write down a simple note of gratitude for the person, place, or experience that allowed you to experience that positive meaningful impact.
- If you like to use incense or candles, now is a good time to light them as you allow yourself to feel this gratitude.
And that’s it! Simple, accessible, and will allow you to celebrate the ways in which fathering has been present in your life in some way.
This exercise also gives you the opportunity to BE more of those important-to-you values and bring them into the lives of those around you.
Now that is something to celebrate.