Today was Father’s Day.

It’s a day that has, in the past, been a bittersweet day. Growing up without a father made this time of year difficult as a child. But then, six years ago, I had my first Father’s Day and the day suddenly had meaning beyond what I had known before. And over the past few years the twins have made Father’s Day so special. It’s become a time for reflection. It’s a time for me to remind myself about what a father, in my mind, does. It gives me a time to reflect on what’s important and what is not. It leaves me feeling like I’ve accomplished something in this world that no one can take away. And, yes, it leaves me missing my own father as well.

This year is special because it is my first Father’s Day with m&m added to the mix. While Swee’Pea and TheMonk now understand what Father’s Day is and made today special by giving me cards they made at school shaped like a tie, it was a day for me to soak in as I spent much of the day helping Mommy nurse the baby and trying to rest. This baby thing is hard work.

But it’s something I wouldn’t ever change. Holding a baby that is only days old and kissing chubby cheeks and cuddling on my chest are things that make fatherhood so special. I hope I never forget the feeling. And I’m left again to reflect on how this fatherhood thing has changed me. And I’m reminded, after looking into the soulful eyes of a newborn baby, that fatherhood isn’t just a status. It’s a way of a life. And I love that being a father is a title I can wear proudly.

Happy Father’s Day. To me and all the great Dads raising their children. We’re changing the world, one kid at a time.