Movember

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cj3DfY7ABw]

Last year, my older son shed a tear when I told him I was going to shave my Movember mustache. I asked him why and he said, “Because it’s awesome.” There is no doubt in the moments you know you’ve succeeded as a parent.

I told him his mother disagreed with his mustache stance and he would have to talk to her about it. “Call her,” he said. I was shocked at his decisiveness and that in his 5 years of life he had picked this particular topic to take a stand on. Who was I to judge? So I dialed and he pleaded to my wife’s voice-mail to retain his father’s facial hair. It was seven minutes of tears, made up facts, a diagram, and a promise that would never fly away. It was the best argument I have ever heard.

I told him that we would take a final picture so he would have a remembrance of my mustache. I also assured him that I would frame it and put it by his bed. It seems silly to promise something like that and not go through the simple actions of taking care of myself. My health doesn’t just affect me, it affects everyone who loves and cares about me. That’s a hard truth to hear because it forces me to ask more of myself. To me, Movember is about raising that awareness so we can keep some great dads in their children’s lives.

The mustache is gone, but that framed picture looks great on his desk.

Editor’s note: As it has for the past several years, City Dads Groups will join forces with the Life of Dad social network, Dad 2.0 Summit and The National At-Home Dad Network to create a team of fundraising fathers.

City Dads Group, starting with its founding NYC Dads Group outpost in 2011, has raised more than $90,000 in direct donations and sponsorship matches in the past four years with our fellow #MovemberDads mustaches partners. To help us, click the link below:

Join our Movember Dads team now!