A Love Letter To The Fathers

Good Morning Ya'll!

I hope you're having an amazing Father's Day so far.

I wanted to dedicate this letter to all of the great men who have played a fatherly role in my life.

MY FATHER FIGURES

As I look back on the two dozen years I've spent on this planet, it's clear that I’ve had some fantastic male role models.

At every level....

My Father,

My Uncles,

My Grandfathers,

My School Teachers,

My Sports Coaches,

were all impactful men who served as pillars of the community in their own ways.

It seems like throughout all ages of my life, powerful men chose to invest their time and energy towards me.

They chose to take their life's wisdom and pour it into the next generation.

What made them great men, was that they chose to not only say what would be best, but they would live it.

They are a living example of their teachings.

It feels like a blessing to have a dozen men who I can call at any moment.

Whether it's for life advice, changing a tire, or even to bail me out of jail (I haven't needed that one yet, haha.)

But there's one man in particular that I'd like to highlight...

My Dad.

MY OWN FATHER

There are a million positive attributes I can say to describe my father,

but I thought it would be best to tell a common memory I had from my childhood....

My father is a Chiropractor.

Well, to be honest, he's much more than that.

I've never brought this up to him, but the label of "Chiropractor" doesn't fully describe what he does.

Yes, he cracks people's backs for a living, realigning their posture, but it feels like much more than that...

There was a period of my life when my dad would pick me up after school and take me to his office.

He would finish his last few hours of work before we'd promptly head home for dinner at 5 pm.

I'd sit back and do homework in his small, tucked away computer room, while he would greet and adjust patients.

Every day, patient after patient, I'd see them walk through the front door in an immense amount of pain.

Not only was their spine misaligned, but it was also coupled with the stress that comes with it.

Most of my dad's patients were blue-collar immigrants who worked on the Las Vegas Strip, just a few miles away.

Being injured meant they couldn't do their job to provide for their family.

At a young age, I could feel the suffering that so many of his patients were experiencing.

One more bad break would tear down their entire livelihood.

Many were tired, stressed, and running out of options.

They were in desperate need.

They were losing hope.

Then, they'd be greeted by my dad.

In that moment, it looked like a spark of light would enter their eyes.

My dad has always had this fantastic way of making people feel as if they are the only person in the world...

He has a strong, yet compassionate, handshake that is always accompanied by a big smile.

When he'd greet his patients, it would feel like he's giving them a glimmer of hope.

He'd then follow up with a swift and easy adjustment.

It would normally only take him a few minutes.

He finished his job, but they weren't finished with him.

Patients would often stay for an extra 20-30 minutes, trying to spend more time with my father.

They'd come for an adjustment, but stay for the guidance.

Contrary to most doctor's visits, people would look for any reason to come in and see my father.

He has a gift for being able to put their mind and body at ease.

Patients would look like a completely different person compared to when they first walked into the room.

Some nights, after a long day at work, my dad would come home,

having been fully present while having dinner with my mom and I,

he would jump up after his last bite, and ask me if I wanted to go for a drive with him.

I'd always say yes.

When I was younger, I had no idea where we were going or what we were doing.

As I grew older, I began to realize that we were visiting patients who weren't able to make it to his office.

A few of my father's patients were severely disabled, and couldn't even leave their bedroom.

My dad would spend his free time traveling to their home, and help them in any way that he could.

To my knowledge, all of these visits would happen free of charge.

I don't know the details, because he never brought it up.

He would constantly serve others without mentioning it to anyone.

He did it truly for the betterment of others.

In those moments, he would not only relieve their physical pain...

But he'd give them hope in their darkest hours.

Even though I'm his only child, he has always been like a father to dozens of others.

Childhood friends would come over and be enamored with my dad.

He treats everyone with the same love and respect as he does his own son.

His genuine curiosity towards the people around him makes them all feel special.

He's navigated family life as if he has a duty to my mother, myself, and everyone else he supports.

His unwavering commitment to serving his family, friends, employees, and patients seems unparalleled.

His perfect balance of strength and compassion makes him my biggest role model.

He always has been, and always will be, my hero.

BUILDING BETTER FATHERS

A key purpose of creating The Men's Circle is to gather all the lessons I've learned from male role models in my life...

& pass them on to the next generation of men.

I've noticed while working with men in their 20's through 40's....

It's crucial to develop a system where single men can serve their community,

especially before we serve a family of our own.

Being a father to the community first, I think, will set us up to be better suited to lead our family.

I'm considering creating a mentorship program in Austin for The Men's Circle community to connect with the local school district.

It would be amazing if there was a sports league, (in particular, basketball), that would put men into coaching/mentorship positions.

If ya'll have any connections or recommendations about how to make this happen,

or any other ideas on how young men can be of service in the community on a regular basis, please let me know.

That's it for today.

I hope you know...

You are loved, and you are enough.

See you tomorrow,

I love you all.

- Cameron Hogan