Being a dad is man’s work

Chances are, you’ve been at an event where one of the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman’s reporters or photographer was there with a notepad, pencil camera and child in tow.

The newsroom has six staff members — three of whom are dads. You can tell which desks belong to these guys because of the photos on their desks and the Crayon-crafted artwork hanging there.

Robert DeBerry’s three kids have grown up holding onto his pants’ legs at photo assignments throughout Southcentral Alaska.

Sometimes Andrew Wellner volunteers to cover a story, like when pro wrestling comes to town, just because he thinks his son Gabe will dig going with him. Sometimes Gabe even helps his dad with his writing assignments, like when the 10-year-old inked rules for playing nicely with other children at the playground.

Sometimes at local events, like a union protest on Wasilla Lake, you’ll find Wellner there with both his sons — Gabe, 10, and Ivan, 8 months.

Jeremiah Bartz has two daughters. You can see their pictures on his desk, along with a decade’s worth of local sports memorabilia. He comes in later on some days when his job as dad means he’s at home caring for his two small daughters.

We like good dads. Really, is there anything nicer or more apt to melt your heart and make you smile than the sight of a man being a dad to his children?

Fathering a child can be managed in a lab these days, but being a dad is real man’s work.

Lincoln can’t fall a sleep because his dad’s not there to tuck him in.

“Daddy’s coming home. I’ll be there soon. OK? Can you wait for Daddy?” DeBerry says into the phone.

We wish everyone were lucky enough to have a dad like these guys. Dads who make dates for one-on-one time with their kids. Dads who take their kids on story assignments so they can see the Radio Flyer Wagon car or meet a pro wrestler.

Others here in the newsroom wish we had dads like these guys. Not everyone is blessed to have a dad who is a nurturing, caring part of their lives.

Some people never know their fathers. Some people have old wounds and can’t so much as say the word father without a lump sticking in their throats.

We’d even go so far as to urge men to add being a dad to their bucket lists. If you’re a father, be a dad. Love your kids, keep them safe and teach them everything you know.

We need dads who will teach their sons by example that a man’s role is to protect his family. We need gentle men who show their sons what it means to be a dad — fishing trips, camping, hiking, learning to ride a bike, throw a ball or bait a hook.

Today on Father’s Day, our hats are off to men everywhere who know the most important work they’ll ever do is being Dad.