It seems that my moment has begun to sprout, in the midst of a particularly turbulent and tumultuous time that I may or may not ever speak on here on this blog.

Father's Day is literally just around the corner and I spent most of the week (most of my lunch breaks, that is) being interviewed about being a father, what it means to me and what it should mean in the larger scheme of things.

At home my wife has frequently asked me if I want a cookie for being a father. Of course this comment is drenched in sarcasm thanks to Chris Rock introducing it in a comedy special years ago. And the truth is no I don't other than some occasional affirmation to know I'm doing the right thing versus the wrong thing. And although moms claim to not get any recognition for the things that they do, moms are celebrated everywhere and everyday. And anyone who doesn't celebrate the moms of the world and all the work they do are foolish.

Turns out my blog or at least the several years' worth of messages contained within it are affirming me in ways I never considered or anticipated.

Today at noon Eastern Standard Time I will be on Headline News with host, Mike Galanos and actor (Transformers) and singer (pick a song) Tyrese Gibson talking about fatherhood and some of the challenges facing black fathers. I was a bit nervous being in front of the cameras for the first time since maybe the second grade when I was interviewed with my class on a talkshow that aired in the middle of the night. I hope you will be able to tune in. At the very least, you can put a voice to the words. I just ask that you do ignore my fidgeting.

On Sunday at 7pm EST I will be discussing fatherhood with my blogging brother, Lamar Tyler on local Atlanta radio station, Kiss FM 104.1. This segment was considerably longer and a really good dialog occurred.

This week I was also interviewed by theGrio.com and Kimberly Allers for a forthcoming article. Once those links are made available I will post them.

To any man out there wondering if they can do it, why they are doing it, does anyone care, whatever I say look at your kids, keep them as your focus at all times. Even if they don't thank you or "treat you right" you are grooming thing for successful and hopefully stable adulthood.

And for all the men who are doing what they are supposed to be doing I don't have a "cookie" to offer you. I salute you for hiding in plain sight while society and the media would rather focus on those who aren't worth their salt or the digital ink I will never spill writing about.

Peace and blessings!

Eric Payne

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Thanks for reading! To learn more about me, you can read my story.

After taping a Father's Day segment for Atlanta's KISS FM 104.1, airing on June 15 at 7 pm. With Jennifer Keitt and fellow Dad, Lamar Tyler.

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Thanks for reading! To learn more about me, you can read my story.

Most days being a father is thankless, so much so that you don't even think about it --- all the things you do, all that you endure and all that you give by day's end. But most men, even the toughest, of which I am not (the toughest), come face to face with matters that will test and sometimes batter their mettle.

During days or times such as these you may feel that you are alone and no one but maybe God is there. But then compassion comes from the tiniest of places. You hear a small caring voice ask, "Dad, what's wrong?" as I did last week. A voice filled with the love and compassion of all the angels up above. And if you're like me, you answer honestly, or at least as clearly as possible so that young mind you're responding to understands the unnecessary complexities of the world of grown ups.

"It's okay, Dad."

That was my daughter's soft and caring response. She put her small hand first on my shoulder and then on my cheek as she sat in my lap. I felt more compassion than I can describe in this 15-second gesture. I looked into her eyes and she smiled at me. I took a deep breath to keep from crying and ruining her time at the park. In the next breath, nearly half my sorrow was gone.

There is no greater power than the power of love. There is no greater blessing than to have a child who is able to exercise that power.

I am too thankful to be sidelined by the thoughtless actions of men (and women) because of the thoughtfulness of my children.

And my daughter was right. It is okay.

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Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter at @EPayneTheDad. To learn more about me, you can read my story.

Where I've been, what I've done, what I've seen...recently:

It's been a full 2 weeks since I started using my Oral-B ProfessionalCare SmartSeries 5000 with SmartGuide and I must say that my teeth are better off because of it. I've been taking turns using my old school human powered toothbrush and my Oral-B power toothbrush. The differences are quite noticeable. First off, I don't stand there brushing my teeth on my own for 2 minutes. I simply don't watch the clock as I typically brush my teeth with my eyes closed. With the Oral-B ProfessionalCare SmartSeries 5000 the SmartGuide always has me focused on the time spent brushing, notifying me when it's time to stop and move on the next quadrant of my mouth (divide your mouth into four sections and you'll get the idea). However the biggest, most noticeable and most welcome change is the Floss Action brush head. It gently flosses your teeth while you brush. I'm not sure it's a 100% replacement for flossing but it's a wonderful feature that has effectively stopped a gum irritation I was experiencing between two of my back teeth when I first began using the new brush. I also appreciate that notifies me that I'm applying too much pressure by stopping when you are brushing too hard.

Pardon the cliche statement, but in addition to taking my word for it, you should try out the brush yourself. Oral-B is currently offering a $10 mail-in rebate on select power toothbrushes now through June 16, 2012. Please visit OralB.com for more information. And of course, Like Oral-B on Facebook (that is if you're on Facebook).

“Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Dad Central Consulting on behalf of Oral-B and received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

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Thanks for reading! To learn more about me, you can read my story.

I was raised a Christian. I was raised to be God-fearing. I was raised to be thankful for all that has been given to me and all that is in front of me. When I wake in the morning I thank the Lord for the air I breathe, for the sky and sun above and I ask that I be a blessing to all around me regardless of whether anyone blesses me back.

As I aged and matured in years, wisdom and my own faith walk I realized I had certain abilities. The ability to create something out of nothing. The ability to take a little bit and turn it into a lot. The ability to make the mediocre great --- in time. In my late twenties I began reading money management books and learned how to save and how to live debt free and how not to splurge on myself. My life became an exercise in sacrifice for the great payday. I taught myself to become more by being less.