10 Dads Who Braved Every Storm on Their Journey Through Fatherhood

Becoming a parent is a journey of self-discovery, and it often challenges people in ways they never expected. Parents grow alongside their children, learning, evolving, and tackling every obstacle together. Now, let’s take a look at 10 inspiring dads whose stories prove just how powerful fathers can be.

• I have a 3-year-old that constantly gets called cute, adorable, beautiful, etc. She is cute, but taught her to respond with “Thank you! And I’m smart, too.” I realized that we do our little girls a disjustice when we focus on their appearance and ignore their intelligence. It becomes what they focus on, and I’ve come to realize the utter stupidity of it. © el_osogrande / Reddit

• My dad used to make meals full of yummy garlic (I love garlic) before parties when I was a teenager. It wasn’t till years later I realized I probably smelled like garlic at all my high school parties! I confronted him about it, and he smiled and said, “I wondered when you’d realize.” I’m not too bright. © ladyanneboleyn / Reddit

• One day, my daughter asked me to drop her off a block away from school. At first, I thought it was a phase. Then I overheard her on the phone saying, “My dad drives this embarrassing old car. I don’t want anyone seeing it.” Her words hurt.
  The next day, instead of stopping a block away, I drove right up to the front gate. “Sweetheart! Don’t forget your lunch! Daddy loves you!” I called out. Her face turned beet red.
  That night, she huffed, “Dad, that was so humiliating!” I raised an eyebrow, “So is calling your hardworking father’s car embarrassing.” She hasn’t asked me to drop her off a block away since then.

• My dad was raised in a family where women didn’t go to college, they cooked and cleaned and made babies. He was always the rebellious one (my mom went to college right out of high school, while they were dating), but he still was raised in that environment and a bit of that still hung around.
  My dad always wanted a son. Since he was a teenager, maybe younger. Then he had three girls. And in the end he decided it didn’t matter.
  He was going to raise three coolest girls on the playground. And he did. He took us on all sorts of crazy outdoor adventures, and you could always see that little bit of pride in his eyes when we outplayed his friends’ sons. © yammerade / Reddit

• When I was growing up, my dad was a private pilot and would sometimes take me along. One day, mid-flight, the engine just quit, and we found ourselves at 5,000 feet and steadily descending in a glide over some pretty forested land.
  Turns out, he had forgotten to switch fuel tanks (there were three in the plane, and you’re supposed to switch between them as you fly to ensure a constant supply of fuel and proper balancing). Luckily, he diagnosed the issue and re-started the engine with a couple thousand feet to spare, and we were fine.
  After he got sorted and chilled out a bit, he clicked on the intercom and said, “You’re not gonna tell your mom about that, are you?” I was about 13 years old (I’m in my 40s now), and she still doesn’t know. © Iwanttheknife / Reddit

• I’m a single dad of a 7-year-old boy. I’ve been divorced for 3 years, and met this brilliant woman who has shown me so much grace for going on 2 years.
  She has a daughter. Her “real” dad has been out of her life for 15 years now. She randomly called me “Dad” while we were messing about, and I almost lost composure.
  Rolled through while laughing along at what we were doing. Then later, after returning to my apartment, broke down sobbing. © BeckyFromTheBlock2 / Reddit

• I went to school about 4 hours away from home. I’d been dating this girl for about 2 years when I found out she had been cheating on me for the last few weeks. I ended the relationship, then told my friends and family what went down.
  When I called my dad, he asked if there was anything he could do. Being a broke college student, I said I’d really just love a good meal. He said he was tied up but told me to check my account after class.
  4 hours later, there is a knock on my door. My dad came to take me out for dinner. If I can be half the father he is, my kids will be alright. © Philbo_andthe_Ents / Reddit

• My siblings have chosen not to have my dad in their life, so I’m his only kid that is still around, really. I think this has made him really insecure sometimes about how much I love him.
  He was never one of those rough and tough dads, he was my best friend. He taught me to swim and ride a bike, was nice to boys I dated, gave me clothing advice in the mornings before school, and is still who I call when I need someone to talk to.
  Whenever I go home, he makes all my favorite foods and brings out his guitar because he knows how I loved hearing him play as a kid. When he figured out how to text, I was the first one he messaged. © Unknown author / Reddit

• Whenever people hear I’m a single dad, they immediately jump to the conclusion that I drove my wife away or caused some break in the marriage. The look of surprise when I tell them I filed because my wife basically abandoned the family gets old real fast. © Unknown author / Reddit

• My dad, for a long time, had problems accepting his emotions. He grew up being taught that emotions are silly, and that knowledge and logic are most important. By the time I was in middle school, relations between him and the rest of my family were really strained.
  When I was in eighth grade, my mom made him move out to get his act together. They came really close to divorcing, and I’m so glad they were willing to put in the time and energy to work through the years of resentment and hurt feelings. This is all to say, he doesn’t quite know how to treat his kids sometimes.
  But he loves us all, and really treasures his daughters. Every year for Valentine’s Day and our birthdays, he buys us flowers. I’ll wake up, and he’s gone to work, but there are flowers left for me. It’s the sweetest thing. © Somewhat_Artistic / Reddit

Moms deserve just as much recognition as dads for the love and dedication they bring to their families. Don’t miss 20 Stories That Prove Moms Love Us Without Any Limits.