A Brutal Reality for Fathers This Thanksgiving...

The holidays are upon us once again, men!

Before the festivities begin, I want to share an absolutely brutal math equation with you to hopefully get you into the right mindset.

Now read it again.

When you become a father, suddenly 18 years no longer feels like a long period of time. It feels like a countdown clock, a constant reminder of how fleeting our time with our young children really is.

We only get 18 years of our children living under our roofs. We get 18 summers. We get 18 Christmases. We get 18 Thanksgivings. That’s it.

When they turn 18 and leave the house to take on the world, 90% of the time you will ever spend with them is GONE. Wow.

I humbly ask you to take a moment this Thanksgiving and look around the table at the faces you are grateful to see.

If you find the frustrations and stress of the day pulling you away from being in the moment, I urge you to use the trick I’ve used for years now:

Close your eyes and picture your 80-year-old self watching this moment on a TV at the end of your life. This man would gladly give up his entire fortune accumulated over a lifetime to be exactly where you are right now.

Oh, what this man would give for one more Thanksgiving with his kids!

Now, ask yourself what this man might be shouting at the TV watching himself squander such precious time by not being fully present? My 80-year-old self would say something like: “You’re going to wake up one day and it’s all going to be over, you idiot!!”

So slow down. Be present. Regardless of current life circumstances, our children deserve the very best of us. They are life’s greatest blessing.

Happy Thanksgiving and God bless each and every one of you,

Jason Howerton
Founder, High Value Dad