By Troy Moore
Chief of External Affairs, National Diaper Bank Network
I am truly honored that my career brought me to the National Diaper Bank Network and the Alliance for Period Supplies, because my daily work isn’t merely professional, it’s quite personal. You see, I’m a Girl Dad.
I remember vividly the first time I held my daughter. I said, “Hi. Welcome to the world. I want you to have a wonderful life, filled with love, friendship and happiness. I’ll try not to let you down.”
From the moment I met her, I embraced singing silly songs, reading imaginative stories, and even changing the smelliest diapers. When adolescence came, discussions of menstruation and period supplies were simply normal. As she has grown, so have I. My paternalistic tendencies of protecting, providing and problem solving have evolved into listening, supporting and embracing all that she is, at 24, and who she will become.
With Father’s Day approaching I want to put out a challenge to my fellow dads. Let’s flip the focus a bit…away from a day all about us…to a day to reflect on the quiet expectation of responsibility.
As fathers, we innately care for our children. Caring should be an expectation we have for ourselves, and a responsibility we should welcome. Likewise, as fathers we should have empathy and compassion for the children of our fellow fathers. We should care for the children around us – especially the ones we don’t know – be they down the street, in another part of our country, or living in far away lands. To not care is unimaginable to me.
Recently, I read a post on Twitter (yes, I’m old-school) by Pope Leo XIV (@Pontifex). He wrote:
“Compassion is a question of humanity, even before it is a religious matter. Before being believers, we are called on to be human.”
While he has no children of his own, Pope Leo understands what it is to be a father. He understands the quiet expectation of responsibility. That we as fathers are called upon to care for the children of others, as we would care for our own.
My daughter expects that of me…and I refuse to let her down.
