If the vision for the Dad Bod is to capture the hidden drama of what it means to be a dad today, then for me personally, this conversation with Micah really nails it because so much of what he says about the feelings of being a dad really resonates with me. Feelings like exhaustion, restlessness, and guilt, but also gratitude, astonishment, and of course, love.

When I first asked Micah late last year if he would be a guest on the show, he initially declined saying that he didn’t feel he had anything inspirational or wise to share and that at the moment, he was feeling pretty negative about parenting. I let him know that there’s no pressure at all and I can definitely relate to those feelings; and also that the only requirement to be on the show is to bring your genuine story of fatherhood with openness, because oftentimes, the most encouraging thing to hear is that you’re not alone in your experience. To my pleasant surprise, when I saw him a couple months later, he told me he was ready to be on the show if I would still have him. I’m so glad that he changed his mind because sitting across from Micah felt like listening to someone speak on behalf of my own personal cohort of dads: boys who grew up in suburban America in the 80s and 90s where unsupervised time outdoors and at friends’ homes drinking soda from a can and water from a hose was the norm. Rather than repeat that upbringing for our kids, we (and I include myself) have taken to helicopter parenting. How did that happen?