Dear Fathers,

I'm writing this post on my phone as I'm laying down to go to bed. I spent most of the day drinking; I typically do on Fathers Day. Today is always a rough day for me. Several years ago my then-fiancee texted me a picture of a positive pregnancy test and informed me that I was going to be a father. Our baby didn't make it and I never got to be a father.

Many of you that visit this subreddit are fathers. A good deal of you are probably even single fathers. Every day I come here and see stories about how difficult and thankless it is to be a father. The whole world seems to want to either demonize fathers or reduce them to incompetent laughing stocks. How many of you are being bled financially dry? Are getting up each morning to work a job you hate? Are sacrificing your mental health and wellbeing? Are pushing past your limits just to get through one more day before waking up and doing it all again? Too many. Too damn many for the world to silence you, treat you as invisible, and tell you that you don't matter.

Fathers: You are not invisible. I and many others like me see you and your struggles. We know why you toil and sacrifice. Not for greed, or spite, or power. Not to oppress or to dominate. But for love. It's because you love your children. You love them and that love will buttress you against all of the pain, all of the suffering, and all of the hate that the world will throw at you. It is for that love that you push ever onward, refusing to give up the ship.

We see you, fathers. We see you and love you. Know that your work does not go unnoticed. Know that you matter. Know that you are human. Know that you make a difference. And know that despite all the sacrifice and pain you willingly heap on your shoulders, there are even those of us that envy you.

Thank you, fathers. Happy Fathers Day.