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.

What would come out at trial? There are a few parents listening to this who would not say

that this parenting thing was important to them. We identify as parents. We work at it. But is that

enough? Jimmy Carter, once trying to take a step back and evaluate his relationship with his

faith, asked, if I were tried for being a Christian, would I be

convicted? It's sort of a breathtaking question. Imagine that suddenly taking your word for it

wasn't enough. Imagine you were actually being investigated. What would the record show?

Thankfully, being a parent is a private affair, but what if suddenly you were famous or you

were going through a divorce or suddenly you were on trial?

What would the record show?

Are you as committed as you say you are?

Would the evidence be compelling?

Or would it turn out that you talked a good game but didn't actually walk it?

As we've said before, what does your calendar say? Because it doesn't

lie. Forget the pictures in the wallet. Forget how you all come together at Christmas or when

people are over. Forget even what biology says or the adoption papers show or what your custodial

rights are. What matters is what you do when no one is looking. What matters is how you love

them day to day, what you sacrifice for them, what you do for them, how you're there for them. That

is what being a parent is. Hey, thanks for listening to the Daily Dad podcast. You can get this

via email every day as well at DailyDad.com.

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