Welcome to the Daily Dad podcast, where we provide one lesson every single day to help you with your most important job, being a parent.

I'm Ryan Holiday, and I draw these lessons from ancient philosophy, modern psychology, practical wisdom,

and insights from parents just like you all over the world. Thank you for listening,

and we hope this helps. All they wanted. The bike was nice, so was the trip to Disneyland,

so was being able to graduate from college without student debt.

They appreciated the presence.

They appreciated the clothes that fit.

Or maybe they didn't.

Maybe they took for granted what it cost you to buy a house where they could have their own room.

Maybe they didn't understand what it took out of you to give them a better life than you had to pay for all this stuff, to pay to go to all

these places. Maybe they didn't understand because the stuff wasn't really what they wanted,

even if they said they did. Because, and you already know this, all they really wanted was you.

They wanted you to be present more than they wanted presence. They wanted your love, your attention, they wanted your acceptance. They wanted your support. They wanted you to be present more than they wanted presence. They wanted your love, your attention.

They wanted your acceptance.

They wanted your support.

They wanted you to be proud of them.

They wanted you to apologize.

They wanted you to understand them.

This is still what they want, even if they're all grown up, even if everything else,

even when it was something essential like food and shelter, seems secondary somehow.

All of it will seem insufficient, even if they got everything material they wanted.

All of it will leave them feeling empty if you can't give them what they really wanted. Make this year your most awesome yet with a box of awesome from bespoke post every month.

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