Provider and Father

Every man today is being judged. I feel it every day. If I provide, I feel pressure to provide more. If I don’t, I feel like I’m failing my family.

For me, the expectation is clear: I’m supposed to be the provider.

Make sure the money’s there. Make sure everyone has what they need. But when I walk through the door at night, that role doesn’t end, it just changes.

Dinner with the family. Dishes in the sink. Bath time, stories, bedtime for my son. My daughter pulling me into a game, or wanting to talk about her day. I love these moments more than anything, but they’re exhausting after a long commute and a full day of work. By the time I sit with my wife and listen as she unwinds from her day, there’s nothing left in the tank.

To rise as a man today, you don’t choose between provider or father. You choose both and you show up anyway

That’s what modern manhood feels like to me. Provide and be present. Work and connect. Give and give, even when you’re running on fumes.

I don’t have it figured out. Some nights I drop the ball. Some nights I show up better. But every day, I’m learning how to carry both roles, provider and father, because my family needs both.