As I was talking with another parent the other day, I took a moment to listen to her family's story. I realized in the process that someone who didn't know either of us would probably look at our families and put them in the same category. We both have children with special needs, yet our families' experiences couldn't be any more different. Even if our children had been dealing with the same diagnosis, the paths we would have taken to get where we are today would have been radically different. I was struck by something else I had never noticed before; I as a dad have a much different view of our story from even my wife. We men deal with situations very differently than our wives, and this makes the story for us very different. Neither of these perceptions is bad or wrong, only different; men and women need to approach their stories in their own distinct ways. While I see a lot of women sharing each other's burdens, which I think is healthy, I don't see a lot of us men sharing. We do a lot for our families, but we don't spend much time on ourselves.
Now that my son is in his twenties, I have spent more time reflecting on past years, and the things I had to learn over those years in order to be the father and husband I needed to be. I can tell you, I have by no means arrived at a place where I am a model father or husband. I have absorbed a few lessons over the years though, lessons I hope to pass along to others. I hope I can help other fathers avoid some of the hard knocks I took in the learning process.
That's why I created "3 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me" a booklet for dads who are newer to this thing we call parenting. I wanted dads to know that while they are trying to figure out a new diagnosis they are not alone. There are those of us who have gone through this before, and we want to be there for you.
We want to get this into the hands of as many dads as we can; this is why we decided to give the booklet away for free! You can download the digital copy from our website using the link below.
Our goal is to give away 1000 printed copies in the first quarter of 2014. This is where we need your help! Each copy costs us $2.00 to print. For the same price as a small cup of coffee, I can get a copy of our booklet into the hands of a dad who needs to hear that he can make it through the tough time he is facing. More importantly, he will be reassured that he can be there for his family in this critical moment. Isn't that worth a cup of coffee?
Help us support dads. Download and share the digital version with all the dads you know, and donate to help us reach out too!
Click here to download
