Happy Father's Day to the 'Bonus Dads'

An overlooked contingent on Father's Day? The men helping to raise the children of single mothers. In the Washington Post, Ke'Yonna Hall offers a tribute to those "bonus dads," recounting how she came to realize that despite the challenges of raising her two sons (who are just 11 months apart, and one of whom has epilepsy) without a spouse, her boys actually have many father figures who have stepped up to fill what she feared would be a "void." There's the uncle who DJs freeze-dance parties whenever his work as a truck driver brings him through town, the uncle who takes them for haircuts, the barber uncle who gives them those haircuts, the uncle who video-calls once a week, and so many more, including their grandpa.

"This village supports me, too," Hall writes. "I am able to show my sons that asking for help is not a weakness, but a strength. They see that family is defined by love and commitment. The men in their lives teach them about kindness, integrity, and perseverance." Read Hall's full piece at the Post. Or for a tribute to stepdads, Sarah Shrader has one here, rejoicing in the two men—one their biological father, plus one who loves them just as if he was—and noting that "the personality differences between the two allows for my girls to literally have the best of both worlds." (More Father's Day stories.)