Fatherhood: The Example We Leave Behind

Will Smith and his son, Will Smith Jr., after swimming lessons at the Suffolk YMCA.

June gives us an opportunity to reflect on both fatherhood and men’s mental health. While they may seem like separate conversations, I believe they’re closely connected.

For me, those conversations begin with a simple truth: being a father is my dream job. Of all the roles I’ve been blessed to have, it’s one that means the most. And part of being the father I want to be means taking care of my own mental health. If I want my son to grow up understanding that it’s okay to ask for help, talk about what he’s carrying, and take care of himself, then I have to be willing to set the example first.

Fatherhood isn’t measured by recognition or rewards. In fact, most of the work happens when no one is watching. It happens during bedtime stories, rides home from practice, conversations at the dinner table, and those everyday moments that rarely make the headlines but shape a child’s life. Taking care of our mental health doesn’t make us weaker fathers. It helps us become better ones.

Growing up in Suffolk and now raising my son here, I’ve come to appreciate even more the values that make this community what it is. As Suffolk continues to grow, I believe it’s important that we hold on to the things that have always made this place special: neighbors helping neighbors, supporting one another, and people stepping up when they’re needed. Those are the values I hope he carries with him long after childhood.

During a month that recognizes both fatherhood and men’s mental health, I find myself thinking less about what fathers provide and more about what they leave behind. Not money. Not accomplishments. Not titles. They leave an example.

Whether we realize it or not, children are always watching. They’re watching how we treat people, how we respond when things don’t go our way, how we show compassion, and how we take responsibility. Those examples often stay with them for a lifetime.

This month, let's celebrate the fathers and father figures who continue to show up. Let’s also encourage the men in our lives to take care of themselves, ask for help when they need it, and understand that strength is not found in carrying every burden alone. Sometimes the strongest thing a man can do is ask for help before the weight becomes too heavy to carry alone.

Long after titles are forgotten, accomplishments fade, and photographs gather dust, what remains is how we made people feel, the lessons we passed on, and the lives we helped shape. The greatest gift we can give a child isn’t perfection. It’s presence. There is no greater investment than a child who knows they are loved.

William "Will" J. Smith