As HN sits at the intersection of business and technology, I will share that I received one of the best corporate yet human Fathers Day messages I’ve seen today from a founder of Brunt (a work wear boot and apparel company whose boots I wear for my DIY projects). I felt an urge to share it but I only interact on HN theses days.
It resonates with me and if you’ve grown a business while raising a family I think it hits more authentic than anything else I’ve seen.
Happy Father’s Day fellas!
Subject:
A Note from the Founder: Happy Father’s Day
Body:
[image of middle aged founder sitting with 2 sons on a tailgate]
My boys and I wanted to wish all the Dads out there a Happy Father's Day.
This year is a special one for me. It's the first year both of my sons can officially wear a pair of BRUNT boots.
Now, my youngest is technically a full size too small for his to actually fit. But he doesn't care, he puts them on and wears them proudly. Seeing them both running around the yard in the gear I've poured my entire soul into changes everything. It puts the last few years of literal blood, sweat, and
tears right into perspective.
Knowing there are millions of you out there lacing up our gear every single day - many of whom are Dads - ties Father's Day all together. It connects my why - from my customers, straight back to my sons.
So today, I didn't want to just send you some generic corporate holiday greeting. I want you to know I feel what you feel. I understand the daily grind. I know the toll of the early mornings, the quiet sacrifices, and the heavy guilt we carry when the job takes us away from the people we love.
If this note resonates with you, it's a clear sign that you aren't just a Dad.
You're a great one. Happy Father's Day from my boys and I to you and yours. Enjoy it.
Happy father's day! Here's my dad on the front of the very first Dragon User magazine. It's been a bit of a bumpy ride but I loved growing up surrounded by every microcomputer under the sun.
Becoming a father transformed my life, which I thought was really rich, into the most joyful experience. Even the more frantic moments are memorable now. The time my daughter spilled her Mom's purse all over the floor (I caught that moment on film), rushing to drop her off at day care and still make the Bart train to work, escorting her from my Cal Berkeley office up to Strawberry Canyon for summer swim classes --- we just re-enacted that over 30 years later, and we were both wondering how I made the hike. It's steep (but I was younger), taking her to a somewhat secret day care in San Francisco when her mom was recuperating from something, quitting my job on the spot after a boss got really scary, on "Take your kids to work" day, showing her how to deal with abuse, and of course, the drives from the Bay Area to San Diego with college gear in the pickup and the 5 story dorm with no elevators. (How can that be?) and so many more thrills.
My Dad was a commercial artist (he did portraits and still lifes at home) and put two kids through college. How he did that still amazes me. He commuted from the north shore of Boston through downtown to Dorchester. What an ordeal that must have been.
I joined the ranks of commuters when I moved to the Bay Area. I'll spare you those stories (for now, anyway)
After the commercial art job, Dad had a succession of jobs. He worked his butt off. I recall his job reviewing trust funds for the state. And then that office closed when the federal government took it over. He did get to see all his grandchildren.
My daughter was too young to understand what I did at my many jobs, but that's actually OK. Kids learn from their time with you, and hopefully, I gave her a good example of integrity and trust.
Seeing how that gift has flourished is the greatest gift I can get this Father's Day, being so far away, but she and her husband did treat me recently to a nice brunch, and of course, frozen yogurt, when I visited.
And I can gladly say, these have been the most incredible days of my life. I want to be more ambitious and more active for my kid, in ways I hadn't thought before.
It’s my first as a father of 4 month old. We have traditionally never celebrated Father’s Day, last few years with social media provenance we started sending wishes on Family WhatsApp group.
This morning felt very different though. I have been getting used (gladly) to waking up with her smile and today with her holding my finger.
That was the best gift ever and getting to take photo with her and my dad :)
if i had to tell younger fathers one piece of unsolicited advice: buy arch support for your shoes. Plantar fasciitis seems to creep up on a lot of dudes after they have kids. It's also the worst.
I love to carry my kid but sprinting around while carrying the extra load did a number on the feet. You can largely prevent it just by spending $50 on a proper insole.
My kid is my favorite thing in my life. So tiring, so rewarding. And after a year of wincing walking barefoot, I can finally run again. Don't lose running time with your kid, buy insoles.
As a father who is suffering from plantar fascitis (brought on by running), I would rather fix the problem by strengthening my arches than mask it by buying inner soles.
Strengthening the arch is definitely the way to go. Hiking is probably the ultimate way to do it, but walking is good too.
I've had plantar fascitis a couple of times before (decade apart) and I've found that it can be resolved within 3 weeks.
The trick that worked for me is to regularly stretch the foot / arch after a few minutes into a walk when the foot is warmed up. If I do that consistently near the beginning of every walk, the pain quickly fades away and the problem resolves itself.
I think hiking over technical-ish terrain, like stumbling over tree roots and rocks that hit the arch would provide the same action of stretching of the bottom of the feet.
I think both companies make a compression band without a cushion, so it won't interference with your insole. (I use 3" elastic sewn in a loop, costs about $1 for a pair.)
Good anti-fatigue mats for anywhere you stand a lot are great as well.
Somewhat apropos today, the solstices/equinoxes are by their nature celebrated at the same time of year universally. Granted, not everyone celebrates them, but you couldn't ever get everybody to celebrate anything.
It resonates with me and if you’ve grown a business while raising a family I think it hits more authentic than anything else I’ve seen.
Happy Father’s Day fellas!
Subject:
A Note from the Founder: Happy Father’s Day
Body:
[image of middle aged founder sitting with 2 sons on a tailgate]
My boys and I wanted to wish all the Dads out there a Happy Father's Day.
This year is a special one for me. It's the first year both of my sons can officially wear a pair of BRUNT boots.
Now, my youngest is technically a full size too small for his to actually fit. But he doesn't care, he puts them on and wears them proudly. Seeing them both running around the yard in the gear I've poured my entire soul into changes everything. It puts the last few years of literal blood, sweat, and tears right into perspective.
Knowing there are millions of you out there lacing up our gear every single day - many of whom are Dads - ties Father's Day all together. It connects my why - from my customers, straight back to my sons.
So today, I didn't want to just send you some generic corporate holiday greeting. I want you to know I feel what you feel. I understand the daily grind. I know the toll of the early mornings, the quiet sacrifices, and the heavy guilt we carry when the job takes us away from the people we love.
If this note resonates with you, it's a clear sign that you aren't just a Dad.
You're a great one. Happy Father's Day from my boys and I to you and yours. Enjoy it.
You've damn sure earned it.
En Giroard Eric Girouard, Founder & CEO
https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/4201/Dragon-User-May...
My Dad was a commercial artist (he did portraits and still lifes at home) and put two kids through college. How he did that still amazes me. He commuted from the north shore of Boston through downtown to Dorchester. What an ordeal that must have been.
I joined the ranks of commuters when I moved to the Bay Area. I'll spare you those stories (for now, anyway)
After the commercial art job, Dad had a succession of jobs. He worked his butt off. I recall his job reviewing trust funds for the state. And then that office closed when the federal government took it over. He did get to see all his grandchildren.
My daughter was too young to understand what I did at my many jobs, but that's actually OK. Kids learn from their time with you, and hopefully, I gave her a good example of integrity and trust.
Seeing how that gift has flourished is the greatest gift I can get this Father's Day, being so far away, but she and her husband did treat me recently to a nice brunch, and of course, frozen yogurt, when I visited.
CIAO to all Dads today.
And I can gladly say, these have been the most incredible days of my life. I want to be more ambitious and more active for my kid, in ways I hadn't thought before.
Happy Father's day to all.
This morning felt very different though. I have been getting used (gladly) to waking up with her smile and today with her holding my finger.
That was the best gift ever and getting to take photo with her and my dad :)
Happy Father’s Day
I love to carry my kid but sprinting around while carrying the extra load did a number on the feet. You can largely prevent it just by spending $50 on a proper insole.
My kid is my favorite thing in my life. So tiring, so rewarding. And after a year of wincing walking barefoot, I can finally run again. Don't lose running time with your kid, buy insoles.
Happy fathers day.
I've had plantar fascitis a couple of times before (decade apart) and I've found that it can be resolved within 3 weeks.
The trick that worked for me is to regularly stretch the foot / arch after a few minutes into a walk when the foot is warmed up. If I do that consistently near the beginning of every walk, the pain quickly fades away and the problem resolves itself.
I think hiking over technical-ish terrain, like stumbling over tree roots and rocks that hit the arch would provide the same action of stretching of the bottom of the feet.
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Born_to_Run/4gS_0UwVI34...
I'd recommend something like the links below for going barefoot:
https://copperfitusa.com/collections/feet/products/arch-reli...
https://www.drscholls.com/products/plantar-fasciitis-achy-fe...
I think both companies make a compression band without a cushion, so it won't interference with your insole. (I use 3" elastic sewn in a loop, costs about $1 for a pair.)
Good anti-fatigue mats for anywhere you stand a lot are great as well.
Aww, man... nothing could be cooler.
Take a deep breath....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father%27s_Day#/media/File:Fat...
It'd be silly to reply to the threads that don't interest me.