Hey John,

No matter what Father's Day means to you, celebration, remembrance, gratitude, or reflection, I hope today honors the people who have shaped our lives through their love, sacrifice, and willingness to show up.

For me, Father's Day is all of those things.

It's remembering Staff Sergeant Lawrence V. Staton. A man who spent his life in service, first in the United States Marine Corps at just 17 years old, then in the Army National Guard. A man who answered the call and served two tours during Operation Iraqi Freedom. A man who gave so much to his country before ultimately passing away in a VA hospital. Today, his folded flag sits on my mantle, a reminder of his service, his sacrifices, and the lessons he left behind.

It's also gratitude for the fathers who continue to show up in my life every day.

It's my stepfather and my father-in-law, the kind of grandfathers who spend hours engineering new projects or building complicated LEGO sets with my children, who show up to every holiday and family gathering, and who pour their love into the little things. When our daughter was born, my father-in-law built a Viking ship bassinet entirely from scratch for his first grandchild. It wasn't just a bassinet. It was an act of love, creativity, and devotion that our family will treasure forever.

And it's celebrating my husband, the love of my life and most perfect father I could've dreamed of for our children.

He's the man who wakes up before the sun rises and comes home after it sets. He works through the sun, rain, snow, and unpredictable Idaho weather, sometimes six or seven days a week. He's the kind of father who can spend hours perfecting a smoked brisket, eagerly learns new hobbies and crafts alongside our children, and somehow still finds the time and energy to be the glue that holds our household together.

When I think about the fathers in my life, I think about men who work hard, sacrifice quietly, and consistently show up for the people they love.

And this Father's Day, I can't help but imagine something more.

I imagine a nation and a government that shows up for them, too.

A government that works just as hard to set fathers and families up for success as fathers work every day to provide for and care for the people they love.

That means protecting good-paying jobs and strengthening workers' voices so that a full-time job can once again provide economic stability.

It means ensuring affordable, accessible healthcare and honoring our promises to veterans, because no one who serves our country should struggle to receive care.

It means investing in public education, trade schools, and apprenticeships so parents can feel confident that their children have opportunities to build meaningful lives right here at home.

It means protecting Social Security and Medicare so families can care for aging parents and grandparents with dignity.

It means supporting paid family leave and affordable childcare so parents don't have to choose between providing for their families and being present for them.

And it means creating an economy where hard work is rewarded, where family farms and small businesses can thrive, and where every person who shows up for their family and community has a fair shot at getting ahead.

The fathers in my life have taught me that love is action. Service is action. Showing up is action.

This Father's Day, I hope we recommit ourselves to building a country that lives up to those same values.

To every father, grandfather, stepfather, father figure, and every family carrying love, gratitude, or remembrance in their hearts today: Happy Father's Day.

Believe in Better,

Kaylee Peterson
Candidate for U.S. Congress, Idaho's 1st District

Kaylee Peterson refuses to take a single dime of corporate PAC money. Our campaign is built differently because it is funded entirely by independent-minded neighbors who believe public office should be a public service.