Be There Dad has consistently promised not to take a side on political matters. However, we have consistently pledged to support and encourage the core values of our dads and their families – what it means to be an American and how to respect others.
The holidays. A season when there seems to never be enough time to get everything accomplished. Most of us are busying looking for just the right gifts while we try to spend time with the ones we love. I wonder if those two objectives can come together. Maybe this Christmas, the best gift we can give is our time
Those who know me and “Coach Jeff” will affirm that I see the glass half full. Many of you would go further and suggest that my glass is overflowing with optimism. I often say, “I have pitched my tent in the land of hope.” Acts 2:26. But in the year of 2020, even I have wondered how we keep up that optimism.
When I became a coach, I taught my youth soccer team the same concept. Spread the field. Keep your spacing. Don’t get too close to each other. Spacing is critical to success in basketball, as well – on both ends of the court.
As we look forward to 2020, Be There Dad understands that our success depends on our willingness to believe. We will continue to believe what the data, research and our own experiences have shown us – that the power of presence works.
The holidays are approaching, so soon most of us will gather with family and friends around dinner tables where we have gathered many times before. As I look forward to our own traditions, I am reminded of the impact those gatherings can have.
Fifty years later, it is time to look for another challenge. Another “possibility” that can make us the best. In Charlotte, one of those challenges is literacy.
Recently I attended a meeting with a large group of employees at a new client. When I was introduced, I was informed about a company tradition.
I held the remote opener discreetly behind my back and pushed the button. I summoned my best Yoda impersonation, then raised my free hand to invoke the “force” and open the tailgate.
Last Saturday morning, I surveyed a church sanctuary full of men of many shapes, sizes and descriptions. They were dads, uncles, grandfathers and dad like persons. They had come from Charlotte and surrounding towns. This was the Man Up Charlotte Conference. These were men on a mission to address fatherlessness. The leader asked those gathered…