Cynicism is easy. Being jaded is easy. Being tired—tired of other people, tired of life—is easy.

Hope?

Hope is hard. Earnestness is hard. Caring is hard.

But that’s the whole thing: Nobody said being a parent was easy.

We’ve talked about Maggie Smith’s poem, “Good Bones.” It’s not fair to subject your kids to all the things that have broken your heart in this world. It’s not fair to let your experiences deprive them of the hope and belief they need not just to survive but to be happy. 

We have to stay positive. We have to keep trying. We have to remain strong—against the pull of bitterness and anger and hopelessness. “Cynicism is cowardice,” the great General Mattis once said. Greatness—but also just decent parenting—requires courage. The courage to wake up in the morning. To keep up good cheer. To believe that making a better world is not only worth it, but possible. 

It’s a hard path we’re committed to. But it’s worth it.

P.S. This was originally sent on February 16, 2021. Sign up today for the Daily Dad’s email and get our popular 11 page eBook, “20 Things Great Dads Do Everyday.”