06/21/2026
To the dads who lead by example.
I learned what work looks like by watching my father. Not from anything he said, but from how he moved through a day. The watchful eye on every detail. Making sure things were done right, not fast. Leaving every place, every row, every job better than he found it. Looking people in the eye and meaning it. A handshake that told you everything you needed to know about a man. And maybe the biggest lesson of all, never letting the what-ifs talk him out of doing something great. He’s still that man today, out in the vineyard, head down, doing the work. I’ve spent my whole life trying to live up to it.
This year I got to start learning it from the other side. Vera turned one, which means I’ve been a dad for a whole year now. Becoming a father made me a new kind of man, the kind who puts his daughter and his wife first, before anything else. People warned me it would change me. They didn’t tell me about the mornings. There’s nothing in this world like waking up to a little voice saying “good morning, dada.” My heart melts every single time.
And to every dad out there, including the pawthers holding it down for their animals too, I see you. The world can be an amazing place and a flat-out crazy one, and the job of being a dad who can do it all feels more demanding now than ever. I see you quietly shouldering the weight of it, asking for nothing, making sure your family is taken care of. You’re doing more than anyone knows.
Happy Fathers Day ❤️💪🏻
