It was one of those calls you never want to get. Russell’s sister was crying and she struggled to relay the news. His dad had, had a heart attack (or what appeared to be) and he was in the hospital. I started searching flights to Tucson even before he hung up the phone.

Russell’s dad is 95 years old, and trust me he’s far from a delicate flower. A few years back, we had a similar call. His dad had what appeared to be a stroke. Russ flew to see him and after a day of not speaking, his dad said, “Hi kid” as soon as Russ walked into his hospital room. After a week or so, his dad had fully recovered and went back to driving himself to Bingo and his own dialysis treatments.

Thankfully, this event was similar. After a week and a half in the hospital, his 95 year old dad is in a beautiful rehab center and back to his bright, joking and amazing self.

I told Russell that unlike me, he comes from hearty stock.

It will be ten years since I lost my dad and much like Russ’ dad, he was one tough guy, but at the age of 81 he’d finally succumbed to a nasty blood cancer. It was tough to see him physically failing cause my dad was always so strong and hearty.

I think Russell felt the same way after his dad’s last scare.

As kids, we don’t expect to see our dads weak. I mean, he’s the guy that can lift any box, carry furniture up a flight of stairs or open any jar. Our dads can feel larger than life when we’re kids and watching them lose their strength is kinda like watching Superman fight off Kryptonite. You’re cheering for them to overcome and unwilling to accept their unthinkable defeat.

I know our girls look at Russ as a man of steal. He’s strong, confident and always smiling. He’s the calming force when things get crazy and he has a way of lightening up the heaviest of situations. Our girls know he’s the one to go to when their computers fail or if they need cash…. um, I haven’t had a dollar in my purse since credit cards could swipe! Whenever we went on vacation, Russ would pull out a bag of tricks to keep the girls occupied on the plane. A deck of cards, a small board game, a special snack or their favorite toy they thought they left behind. Russ was the guy in the pool tossing them up in the air or racing them to the side. He bought all the toys for all the holidays and they knew the only stuff coming from me was new underwear and socks. Now that they’re older, I wonder if our girls notice his knee hurts a little when he walks or he sometimes has trouble hearing them over the din in a loud restaurant.

The older Russell’s dad gets, the more I see him in Russ. They share the same sense of humor, the same mannerisms and way of speaking.

Seeing physical traits is the obvious reminder of what our parents pass down to us, but there’s so much more we get from them we don’t see.

Regardless of whether children are being raised by two parents of the same gender or two parents of the opposite gender, two parents have the benefit of bouncing decisions and responsibilities off each other. Shoutout to single parents too! They have to balance both worlds, which is even more admirable. I couldn’t imagine parenting alone without someone else to help with the day to day.

Russell and his family have never cared too much about Hallmark holidays, but I have a feeling this Father’s Day will be different. Their dad’s brief encounters with death are stark reminders we must show our gratitude for having them in our lives and tell them daily how much we love and appreciate them.

Inspired by the strength, quality & individuality of the men in our lives, MAJAMAS EARTH is introducing a new collection just for them, COMING SOON!

MFM (MAJAMAS for MEN) will be ethically made from the same soft, environmentally friendly fabrics as our other collections and of course, made 100% here in the USA.

We hope you’ll share our MFM collection with the men in your life.

Men, It’s Time to Care What You Wear!

– Germaine Caprio, Company Owner & Designer

📷✨ Graphics from Emily Jasinski (one of our talented Columbia College students!)

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How do the men in your lives inspire you?

Please share your own thoughts with us – let’s get a conversation started in the comments below! Your comment may even win you a free MAJAMAS garment this week!