The Brands of Father's Day 2016

(This article also appears on Huffington Post, so please click here if you'd like to read it there!)

I was raising my now adult kids at a time when dads didn't get much credit. We were considered bumbly-fumbly fools who could barely babysit for an afternoon, let alone actually care for a child. Meanwhile, in my case, I was a primary care-giver taking the responsibility of parenting full on. While I wouldn't have changed my family for the world, it would have been nice to get a little acknowledgement.

Enter 2016, and have times changed. We see fathers of every flavor actively caring for their children and we see pop culture and brands celebrating it. Thankfully.

So just in time for Father's Day 2016, I thought it would be fun to celebrate a few brands that are celebrating dads this year.

Allstate. I love this piece of film because I think it hits upon a universal moment for us all, as a father as well as a kid. Take a look. #HeresToFirsts.

Gillette. I just love how this campaign hits on a critical role for any dad...giving good advice and guidance to his children, even for the most mundane of tasks. #GoAskDad.

Dove Men+Care. This brand has been accepting and supporting fathers since its inception a few years ago. I've personally been to events that it has sponsored and I see the social movements it supports. I even received this personalized mailer from Dove Men+Care over the weekend, announcing a new short film (My Dad. My Hero) being launched to celebrate dads The mailer really touched my heart. You can see the film, featuring user-generated content from all sorts of dads by clicking here.

Happy Father's Day to all the dads...I personally know the work that goes into parenting and I salute all of your efforts every single day.

Sending special hugs to all the fathers who lost their children in Orlando this week and all the children who lost their fathers, and everyone else facing the loss too. Love is love and love will conquer all.