Name: Ty Will | City: Columbia SC | IG: @TyWLL
What does being a father mean to you?
Being a father means the world to me. It’s an organic way to level up and prove to yourself that you’re built to take care of someone.
Describe your experience with your father growing up and how that impacted you today.
My father was absent while married to my mother (same house, but distant). I’ve always admired him. Being the only man I knew for years, a leader in the military. But he failed me often times by not communicating at all. I knew his face, but never knew him per say.
What things did you take from your experience growing up into your own fatherhood journey?
The one thing that I said I would never do is be absent in my child’s life, because I had an absent father. If I tell my daughter I’m going to do something, I do it….if I can’t, I let her know. I communicate with her daily, reassuring her that Daddy is PRESENT and ALWAYS available for and to her.
Have you had any obstacles on your fatherhood journey?
Getting divorced while my daughter was 2yrs old was tough for me. Apart of me was willing to stay in the marriage for the sake of my daughter having a two parent home, but then I challenged myself to level up even more since I wouldn’t be in the home anymore. Time, I struggled with making and having physical time with my daughter. Lots of sacrifices were made to make sure I could have a daily present, that has now become the norm.
What advice would you give others new on their fatherhood journey?
I’d advise any new father to put your child as a PRIORITY! Be the example, be the world they should see. Keep your word with them, make your presence known. Treat them as the prince or princess that they are.. and have open communication with them.
If you could write a quick letter to your father, starting with “Dear Father,” what would you say?
Dear Father,
I expected and still do expect more. However, I forgive you, b/c maybe you didn’t have the example of a father so you didn’t know better. But while we still have breath in our bodies, let’s get that bond that we’ve never had.
Signed,
Your son, that loves you.
