Welcome to the Daily Dad podcast where we provide one lesson every day to help you with your

most important job being a dad. These are lessons inspired by ancient philosophy, by practical

wisdom, and insights from dads all over the world.

Thank you for listening, and we hope this helps.

Your kids have not been harmed.

The last year has been rough.

It's not how many of us would have chosen for things to go.

Remote schooling, missed birthday parties, canceled trips, no unnecessary trips to the store,

no concerts or games from the bleachers, lost time with older loved ones, maybe even lost

loved ones.

There's no question we missed out on stuff. It was a

tragic event of historical proportions, but you have to catch yourself and how you think about it,

because it's already becoming a narrative. Our kids have been irreparably harmed. They'll never

catch up in school. It's not fair. It's generational trauma. No, what happened was life,

and your kids are going to get through this. And look at how much you've already been through.

Did you ever talk to your grandparents or great-grandparents about their experiences as

children during the Depression or the Second World War? Did you ever hear them once complain

about how it screwed them over or ruined

their lives, but how they never recovered? No, in fact, much of their wisdom and resilience was

rooted in what they learned living through those transformative experiences. Why should this be

any different? Why would you choose to grab the pandemic by the other handle, to use Epictetus's phrase? Yes, your kids have lost things. Yes, much of this was preventable. Yes, it was hard. But you are kids and you have gained things. You've learned things. You've spent more time together. You've been reminded of what was important. You've grown stronger for having to struggle.

You have to see it this way for their sake and yours.

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