Father鈥檚 Day has special meaning this year for a D.C. area law professor sharing lessons from fatherhood in a new book about the small moments that shape a child鈥檚 life.
鈥淔ather鈥檚 Day is that one time that鈥檚 really highlighted when we really think about what that means to be a child鈥檚 father,鈥� said N. Jeremi Duru, a professor at American University鈥檚 Washington College of Law.
Duru, who grew up in the D.C. area and has three sons, co-wrote 鈥溾�� with his longtime friend and fellow law school housemate Shani M. King.
He said the book is about sharing stories and giving his children guidance as they grow eventually become fathers.
鈥淭he time when you encourage your child to go swimming for the first time, picking them up for school. How much fun it is to do your work with them while they鈥檙e doing their homework next to you,鈥� Duru said.
The idea for the book came from King, who had been working on a message to his own children.
鈥淪hani was working on kind of a piece of writing 鈥� a poem, a love letter to his children 鈥� and he shared it with me, and I was like, that鈥檚 incredible. And he said, 鈥榃hat do you think about us turning this into a book together?鈥欌�� Duru said.
Duru said the book is also meant to help fathers express love in ways that may not come naturally.
鈥淥ur hope with the book is to allow fathers who may not have that instinct to express love in that way to do so through the book,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e want this book to be a tool for fathers who may not be as comfortable expressing their emotions to their child, telling their child, 鈥業 love you.鈥欌��
For Duru, one of the book鈥檚 most meaningful moments focuses on a father comforting a child who has fallen off a bike.
鈥淎 father is holding his child and comforting the child and explaining that the child鈥檚 pain is the father鈥檚 pain. The father feels it as well, and the father wants to do everything he can to alleviate that pain for the child. To me, that鈥檚 the most touching page of the book,鈥� Duru said.
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