fathers day - in all its layers

Welcome back to Sunday Goods!

Father’s Day can feel grounding and good.
It can also feel complicated, heavy, or hard to define.

For some, it’s grilling in the backyard with a dad who showed up—every time—with quiet strength, a helping hand, or the kind of guidance that made you feel safe in the world.
For others, it’s a day that brings up absence. Maybe your father passed. Maybe he was never really there—physically, emotionally, or both. Maybe the word “dad” doesn’t hold warmth, but weight.

The truth is, fatherhood is layered.
It doesn’t always come in the shape of biology.
Sometimes it’s an uncle, a coach, a teacher, a big brother, a stepdad, or a mentor who stepped in with the steady love you needed.
And sometimes, it’s learning how to father yourself—how to protect, provide, and guide your own healing.

So today, like always, we’re holding space for all of it.
The loud laughs. The silent grief.
The gratitude. The gaps. The gray areas.

If you had a father who showed up with love
Let that love remind you what protection can feel like.
Tell him. Thank him. Hug him.
And if he’s gone—carry his legacy forward in how you show up for others.

If your relationship with your father is strained
You’re allowed to feel it all—anger, confusion, grief, even guilt.
You don’t have to force forgiveness or fake celebration.
Your boundaries are valid. Your truth matters.

If you’re a father yourself
You’re allowed to be a work in progress.
You don’t have to have all the answers.
Showing up, staying present, and choosing love—even imperfectly—is already changing a generational story.
Keep going. You're doing better than you think.

And to everyone else
Let this day be whatever you need it to be.
A toast, a text, a tear, a long hike, a solo breakfast.
You don’t have to wrap it up neatly to honor how you feel.

I want to honor the men who have shaped me.
To my dad—thank you for your wisdom, your hard work, your quiet sacrifices. I carry your lessons with me daily, and I’m endlessly grateful for your love.

To the father figures in my life—thank you for showing me what strength looks like when it’s paired with gentleness. For your guidance, your support, your belief in me—I’ll never forget the ways you’ve shown up.

However this day finds you—please know:
You are seen.
You are valued.
& your story belongs here.

love you always,

elle