Friendship: What is it? Where do we find it? How do we keep it? According to Facebook, a friend is someone we may have met for a minute, added to a list and left to the algorithm. According to Marc Antony in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, friends (like Romans and countrymen, respectively) tend to lend their ears and are often prone to peer pressure. According to my youngest son, friendship is a compass that points to where your heart is, regardless of time or distance. Sorry, Bill, but I’m with the kid on this one. “I’m not tired,” said that same kid, lying through his eyelids, … [Read more...]
Sexual Misconduct: Dads, It’s Time to Finally Fix This
Men — especially dads — have to change what we frown upon. We have to accept that sexual misconduct hurts us all, much like secondhand smoke affects the air we all breathe. It has been said that when women discuss a problem with men, they are often looking for emotional support, not help with a solution. But when it comes to the sexual misconduct issue ricocheting through our culture, that notion is mistaken. Women are doing their share to fix the issue by courageously raising more awareness, reporting more abuses, and demanding more consequences. It is time for more men to join the fight and … [Read more...]
Battling Hubris Part of Parents’ Job in Raising Good, Healthy Children
The CEO of my former employer loved the word "hubris." He’d warn against it in grand speeches designed to keep us hungry, innovative, humble and to ensure we would remain client-focused in the face of tremendous success and a steady stream of critical acclaim. People loved our company but, instead of embracing that love, he challenged us to keep the affection and admiration of others an arm’s length away. His thinking was that once you start believing you are great, you’ll focus less on the small details that made you great in the eyes of others and then -- poof -- you will no longer be … [Read more...]
Father Figures Thanked in #ThereToCare Dove Men+Care Campaign
Disclosure: We are proud to partner with Dove Men+Care for its #ThereToCare campaign. "Who was #ThereToCare for you?" That's the tagline to this year's annual Father’s Day campaign by Dove Men+Care grooming products, a frequent partner of ours at City Dads Group. The question aims to put the focus not just on fathers but on men who served as father figures to others. "Dove Men+Care also wants to acknowledge the other men who have stepped in to care for the next generation. From grandfathers to uncles, to teachers and coaches, there are many men to thank for their roles in shaping us," … [Read more...]
Divorced Dad Worries about Legacy of Loving Left for Sons
I see what I want for my own children: always to have love in their lives ... whether that be in a monogamous, lifelong relationship or whether their evolutions take them on journeys with multiple partners — or other forms I can’t even imagine. _____________ I have been to a couple of weddings in the past few months. As one who has been married and divorced twice, I have felt myself wince each time when the couples pledged to be together for life. The wince registers on many levels. An abiding sense of failure on my part, particularly with my second marriage. I have two sons, now ages 10 … [Read more...]