For many of us, our fathers are our protectors. They provide the structure, discipline and encouragement that stays with you throughout life. And when they’re not cooking on the grill in their favorite sandals, they teach us to stand tall, speak up and be fearless. 

Of course, the word “dad” isn’t the same for everyone. It can be a biological bond, mentor, bonus parent or father figure who chose to step up. This holiday recognizes their part in bringing us into this world and showing up time and time again.

This special Father’s Day edition of Uniquely Milwaukee turned into quite the group project, thanks to you. In addition to asking a few locals to write heartfelt letters to their fathers, I reached out to our audience in the hopes of getting a few voicemails with messages to your dads. You stepped up, so listen for those in the episode.

On top of that, my own father is part of this episode! He’s a pretty private guy, but I got him to open up a bit about fatherhood and being a single parent: “Raising someone by yourself takes a lot. It’s not easy. There’s nothing perfect in (the) raising of any child by yourself, but you try to practice perfection, and with that comes a lot of looking at yourself.”

Thanks to everyone who took part in this special episode. And to my dad and all dads, happy Father’s Day.

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Episode host: Kim Shine

Uniquely Milwaukee is sponsored by the Milwaukee Public Library and supported by our Radio Milwaukee members.