How times have changed!  Remember the time when dads were just expected to bring home the bacon? When no one raised a hoot when all they did was grunt around the house and fix the broken faucet?

Today’s fathers are no longer afraid of their nurturing, supposedly feminine side.  The image of the gentle giant putting his baby to sleep in a popular diaper commercial nicely lingers in the mind.

Dads proudly post photos of themselves with their children on Facebook. No other message can be clearer: It’s OK to show your “soft”side.

And that’s where the challenge lies. Today’s dads are not only expected to be good providers, they are also expected to swap stories with their family and sing to their babies. Stereotypes are crumbling all around us, liberating dads to bare their heart more and tear down that strong, silent mask that tradition has imposed on them for years.

But that doesn’t mean dads have become weaker.  Of course not! They’re still the first to shield and buckle to defend their brood when needed. Any man who so much as lays a hand on his daughter will get it from her fuming mad dad. Anyone who crosses paths with dad’s young man is in for a battle royale.

Dads are the first to rejoice when children go out into the world to live their own lives.  They are the types who comfort a tearful mom when Junior has decided to get his own condo and live apart from his parents. But that doesn’t mean he sleeps soundly when he doesn’t hear from Junior. That doesn’t mean he can hie off to dreamland while his little girl is out on a date.

He may seem all nerves of steel outside.  But scratch the surface and you see a man who is all pins and needles when it comes to his brood.

Dads may head multinational corporations or sit on the board of several enterprises. He may bring home the bacon day in and day out and slay dragons in the corporate jungle. But he still gets tired after a series of meetings or marathon trouble shooting sessions. He still longs to see his family when he gets home tired from work. Dad would still crave for his favorite food and misses his wife and children’s hugs, smiles, and kisses. Lastly, he would look forward to plopping on the bed at the end of the day and hearing a well-deserved “I love you” from Mom and the kids. No other man has earned his right to be loved and respected even more.

This Father’s Day, let’s pause and say thank you to the strong, silent warrior of the home, the one who is not afraid to let his guard down to show how much he loves us.

Let’s pamper the guy who works so hard to provide for us.

Happy Father’s Day!