Father's Day, Narrated: The Video for the Dad Who Says He Doesn't Want Anything

Father's Day has the same problem as Mother's Day, with one twist: the dad in question usually means it when he says he doesn't want anything. He has the socks he likes. He has the grill he likes. Adding more stuff to his life is not the gesture he is hoping for.

The video is the right gift for this dad specifically because it isn't a thing. It's an experience of being seen by the people he raised, narrated in a voice that doesn't require him to respond in the moment. He can watch it alone, after the family has gone home, and feel exactly what the video is saying without having to perform gratitude.

What to include:

• Photos of him doing the thing he thinks nobody noticed him doing. Coaching the team. Fixing the sink at 11 p.m. Sitting through the school play looking bored but present. The video's job is to surface the things he thought no one was paying attention to.
• One photo from each kid, of him with that kid. If there are step-kids, include them. The narration should make clear he is the dad of all of them.
• Documentary is the default. Playful works only if your dad is the kind of dad who would genuinely enjoy being roasted. Warm & personal is for the grandfathers, not the fathers.