Happy Father’s Day: Celebrating Our Real-Life Superheroes
In honor of Father’s Day, we wanted to share a message written by a colleague about her father. While her experiences were, of course, specific to her, we think they are the perfect illustration of what good fatherhood looks like…and why having a good father can make all the difference in the world.
When I was little, I was terrorized by nightly visits from a monster that lived in my closet.
Now, as an adult, I know monsters aren’t real of course. But back then, I believed in superheroes, fairytales, imaginary friends—and, unfortunately, scary monsters—as most children do.
As a parent, I feel lucky that my daughter is still young enough that we haven’t had to cross that bridge yet. But thanks to my dad, I feel well-equipped for when that day inevitably comes.
You see, my dad didn’t just peek into the closet and offer a reassuring word. He didn’t just tell me monsters weren’t real.
No, he fought them.
He shut himself in the closet and made a show of it—banging and booming as he wrestled “the beast” into submission. He stuffed it into a trash bag, dragged it out to the curb, and sat with me at the window until the garbage truck came and hauled it away.
And just like that, the nightmares stopped.
Here’s the thing—I’m pretty sure he didn’t think twice about it. I don’t think he saw it as a grand gesture. I don’t think it was even planned.
It was just my dad being… my dad.
But to me?
He was a superhero.
I knew I could count on him to show up, every time, anywhere, without ever needing applause. Because that’s what dads do. They hold steady. They stand guard. They make the darkness feel a little less scary. They protect us when we’re small—not just from the things that scare us, but from the things we don’t yet know how to handle. And they do it quietly. Without fanfare. Without needing a thank you. Without ever asking to be noticed.
Maybe your dad didn’t fight closet monsters. Maybe he saved the day in smaller ways. A light left on. A ride in the rain. A voice in the dark that said, “I’m here.”
But, no matter what, good dads show up when we need them most, as any superhero would.
So, here’s to the dads who did that for us. To every man who answered to “Dad,” whether by blood, by marriage, or simply by heart. To the stepdads, grandfathers, uncles, and chosen father figures who stood in when it mattered most. To the ones who may never have worn a cape, but still made us feel safe in this big, scary world.
Happy Father’s Day.
And thank you, Dad—for being my real-life superhero and always helping me fight my monsters.
From our entire team to all the great superhero dads out there…Happy Father’s Day!
