Be confident in who you are. Stand up for what you believe in. Treat others with respect. Listen. Act. Be adventurous.
Do those things and you’ll leave the world a bit better than you found it. My dad had his values more or less in order. But how to impart them?
Dad moments.
You know, those moments where the sheer dad-ness of Dad is on full display. Sometimes intentional, sometimes not, they’re enough to make any son or daughter cringe. Or smile. Because those moments make Dad, Dad. But they are also what make you, you. What make me, me.
Dad can open a can of beans around a campfire with his teeth. He can make a pun out of anything. He can find very creative ways to say, I love you. Without actually saying it. Dad is resourceful, if not a bit rough around the edges. And that’s a great recipe for a lifetime of dad moments.
Let’s take it back to that moment when Dad became, well, Dad. He didn’t quite know how to do it, but here he was with a new child in his hands and a lifetime of fatherhood ahead of him. Daunting. But he was up for it.
Not one for long, emotional conversations, this Dad wisdom came through in his actions. Like when Dad took me, still a newborn, to a march for climate action, back when such marches weren’t a headline news kind of thing.
He knew I wouldn’t remember that day, at least not in the traditional way. But maybe he thought it would plant a dose of fire in me, deep down, which would nourish my drive to align my life with my values. Perhaps it would infuse a little of that uncompromising spirit which doesn’t just wonder why things aren’t better, but makes a point of doing something about it. And while doing so, making sure to have a little fun along the way.
Like the morning I saw Dad shaving and wanted to play with the shaving cream. A stern look from Mom said, you’ll both be on cleanup duty. A messy half an hour later, and it was well worth it. Dad had had a shave. And me, well I’d worn a white beard and had a whole lot of laughs shared with Dad.
Of course, there have been serious dad moments too. Life-saving, quick-on-his-feet moments. Like when Dad cooked up his famous camping dinner and a bear sauntered into the campground for a piece of it. Or when Dad swooped in to whisk away a rattlesnake on the doorstep of the tent. He’s not perfect, but in an adventurous Dad kind of way, he finds a way to make sure I’m okay.
Then there are those awkward, but proud moments. Like when Dad realized I was no longer a kid, but becoming a man. We had shaving cream moments which were now all about technique, and a transition into adulthood and autonomy.
A Dad has a whole world of knowledge to share, but that first shave with his son is perhaps the most special. It’s a seed of self-care which a son harvests for the rest of his life. My morning routine will always have a touch of Dad.
Later on, off to college, I took that with me and a thousand other things too. A gruff conversation about the birds and the bees. A set of values and the ability to question them. A lot of Star Trek knowledge. And a pile of camping gear for trips with new friends. Trips, this time, without Dad.
As Dad did, I tried to blaze a trail through life that was uniquely my own, nourished by a steady fire deep down to make a mark creating a better world. I may be only vaguely aware of all that Dad has done to help prepare me for this, but what still remains vivid are those dad moments sprinkled into my life along the way.
It’s those moments which keep Dad present in some kind of way, every day.
At 6:30AM, the alarm clock blasts the Star Trek theme song, inviting in another day of bold adventure. I put the coffee on. Fair Trade, of course. Then, a shower and a shave, perhaps a beard trim, tight around the edges like Dad does so well. Get dressed. Smart-looking shoes, sustainably made. All a recipe for me to look and feel my best. Thanks, Dad.
Out the door and into the world. Another day, striving to leave it a little better than I found it.
But today’s a bit different. Because Father’s Day is coming. And Dad deserves a dad moment of his own, brought to him by the kid who’s no longer a kid. And brought to him by a company that stands for everything we stand for.
So, Dad, let me introduce you to Thrive. A face wash. A scrub. A healthy, close shave. A business with a personality quite like ours. Be adventurous and bold. Be true to your values. Do what you can to make the world a better place.
That’s how I try to live, Dad, because that’s how you taught me. And now, businesses are doing the same. With a company like Thrive, we can align who we are with what we buy and live our values starting bright and early with our morning routine.
As you know, some of the greatest dad moments of all are when a son or daughter finally gets to teach a thing or two to the old man. So have a shave and change the world, Dad. On Father’s Day, this dad moment is for you.
