On Father's Day, Give the Gift of Connection
Father's Day is an opportunity to connect, check in, and start meaningful conversations with the dads we love.
Jun 14, 2026
Next Sunday is Father's Day, a holiday honoring not just dads but everyone who has stepped into that role in our lives. It falls during Men's Mental Health Awareness Month, a fitting overlap that highlights how strength and struggle often exist closer together than many people realize.
The numbers tell a sobering story: Men are significantly less likely than women to seek help for mental health issues like loneliness or depression, and only about 40% of men with a mental illness receive treatment, compared with more than half of women.
It’s not that men face fewer internal challenges. It’s that many have become accustomed to carrying them in silence. For generations, they were taught to handle problems silently. That mindset can be a source of strength, but it can also make it harder to ask for help.
Father's Day gives us an opening to change that. Yes, it's a chance to show love and appreciation for everything the fathers in our lives do. But it's also an invitation to connect more deeply and ask the simplest of questions: How are you doing?
Wired to go it alone
The reluctance to seek help runs deep. Anthropologists have said that in our hunting-and-gathering days, keeping fears and feelings to yourself was a practical advantage. After all, sharing your worries didn't help you take down a mammoth.
Some of that ancient wiring, it seems, stuck around. I certainly saw it as a kid in Queens, New York.
When I was growing up, many of the fathers in the neighborhood looked like they had stepped out of central casting. They were policemen, firefighters, and tradesmen who had come of age during the Depression and become adults in time for World War II.
“Expressive” wasn't a word you'd use to describe them. Feelings rarely came up. Conversations in garages, around backyard grills, and at the local bar rarely strayed from work, cars, and sports.
A lot has changed since then. Today's dads are more willing to talk about how they feel. But the statistics suggest it still doesn't come naturally. Even now, many of us find it easier to discuss work or the news than whatever is actually weighing on us.
Starting a conversation
The quietest men are often the least likely to start these conversations themselves. That means the people closest to them may need to be the ones to break the ice — and Father's Day is a natural moment to try.
After all, families are already gathering, or calls are being made. Often, all it takes to connect more deeply is a little curiosity and a willingness to linger on a question a bit longer than usual.
If you want to move past the surface this weekend, here are a few gentle ways in:
- Acknowledge the awkwardness: There is nothing wrong with calling it out directly. Saying something like, “I know we don't usually talk about this stuff,” can immediately take the pressure off both of you.
Lean into humor: If a heavy, sincere approach feels too forced, use the language your family already speaks. Teasing, running jokes, and shared laughs can open doors just as effectively as a heartfelt admission.
Ask for advice: Fathers naturally light up when asked for guidance, even when we think we’ve outgrown the need for it. Shift the focus to their own experiences by asking what they were like at your age, what used to worry them, or what they might have done differently.
Sometimes, a single thoughtful question can open doors that have been closed for years.
The moment I almost missed
My father was a painting contractor, and he fit the mold of dads from his generation perfectly. He wasn’t the touchy-feely type, but he would do absolutely anything for his family, including slipping a few extra dollars into your pocket before a big date.
Near the end of his life, though, he turned the tables on me.
One afternoon, he watched me say goodbye to my brother, turned to me, and asked, “Why did you stop kissing me?”
I froze. “I didn't think you'd want me to,” I admitted. “I thought that was just something kids did.”
I realized right then that I had been the one making assumptions, letting them stand for years. But by asking that one question, my dad completely flipped the script. He showed me that even the quietest men from that generation sometimes want to break the silence, too.
That single moment changed the trajectory of our relationship for the time we had left. It was a reminder of how often we hold back — not because we don't care, but because we're not sure how our gestures will land.
This Father's Day, I hope all dads and the people who love them take a similar chance and push past their comfort zones. I promise it's a risk you won't regret.
All the best,
Jim
Written by our Founder and Chairman, the Celebrations Pulse letters aim to engage with our community. By welcoming your ideas and sharing your stories, we want to help you strengthen your relationships with the most important people in your life.
Explore Popular Celebrations Pulse Topics
AUTHOR
Jim McCann is the founder and chairman of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. as well as a business leader, author, and philanthropist with a passion for helping people deliver smiles. Devoted to helping others, he also founded Smile Farms, a 501(c)3 organization that provides meaningful jobs in agricultural settings to young adults and adults with developmental disabilities.
