I’ve been blessed to know many wonderful fathers in my life, from my own dad, to my stepdad, grandfathers, and my husband. We learn a lot from our dads, and I can definitely say that I developed some of my opinions on money and spending thanks to the men I looked up to as a child and young woman. As a parent myself now, I appreciate that it’s hard to know what habits and ideas you might be passing onto your children, and I can definitely say that I am so grateful to fathers in my life.

Growing up, my dad was my traveling companion, an ally to join me on adventures. He introduced me to the library and the amazing world of books. He read The Hobbit to my brother and I, falling easily into the characters of Bilbo, Gandalf, and the various dwarves, orcs, and trolls. Listening to these stories filled me with a sense of wonder and an appreciation for literature, imagination, and the unknown.

When I was 10, my dad bought me a sword and an emerald ring for my birthday (my treasure hoard). When I was 15 and developed a love for architecture and turn of the century homes, we travelled to different cities in Indiana and walked their historic districts. When I was 19 and struggling with a decision about how to continue my education, he gave me his advice. For every stage of my life, he’s been there, a source of strength and guidance, but never judgment.

My stepdad taught me that being accountable and honoring your word will bring you a lot of good things in life, not the least of which is being able to look at yourself in the mirror every morning. He was my fishing buddy, and we almost always won the fishing contests against my mom and brother. We’ve played countless hours of Yahtzee, Boggle, and Phase 10. He’s also the one who shared the nifty little trick of always rounding your debits up in your checkbook so that you have an unexpected bonus in your account at the end of the month. When it comes to winning the family lottery, I somehow scored two awesome men to be my heroes, my role models, and my friends.

Even now, as a grown woman with a family of my own, I see their influence and kindness all around me. There is some truth to the statement that girls grow up and marry their fathers. While my husband and my dad are definitely different in a lot of ways, the same kindness, love of adventure, and willingness to jump into childhood with their kids is there. The minds are different, but the hearts bear a striking resemblance.

So today, I want to say thank you to my dads for helping me become myself, for believing in me, and for giving me my love of adventure, of books, and game nights. And thank you to all the dads out there who shape hearts and minds every day.  Happy Father’s Day. I’m Claire, the Afena blog mom. Thanks for reading.