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Joy, Despite It All

By Johnathon E. Briggs

In My Daughter’s Growth, I See the Shape of My Own

By Johnathon E. Briggs

The Work That Never Ends

By Johnathon E. Briggs

In memoriam: Tracy Airrion Pruitt

By Johnathon E. Briggs

Pierced Ears Latest Sign Daughter Forging Own Life Path

By Johnathon E. Briggs

Take a Moment for Yourself to be Your Best Self

By Johnathon E. Briggs

Swim Lessons Teach Daughter, Dad to Navigate ‘Big Blue World’

By Johnathon E. Briggs

Honoring My Father’s Wishes for a Beautiful Beginning

By Johnathon E. Briggs

Is AI-Generated Art Biased Against Fathers of Color?

By Johnathon E. Briggs

Resistant Eater Makes Meals a Challenge

By Fatherhood at Forty
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About

About

Few may know this, but twice as many dads of newborns today are now in the 40-plus age group, compared to the 1970s. Six weeks before my 40th birthday, I became a first-time father, hence the title of this blog.

This life-changing moment made me think about my own dad, who became a father at 43. As my parenthood journey unfolded, I noticed that most of my friends had become parents earlier in life yet, here I was, changing diapers and battling sleep deprivation at (nearly) 40. I told my wife, “Parenting is definitely a young man’s game.” But is it really?

Where most of my friends were preparing for their children’s middle and high school graduations, I was mastering the art of the swaddle, perfecting the one-hand baby wipe, and learning to decipher my daughter’s gurgles and whimpers. It occurred to me that I had so much more to offer my daughter at the sure-footed age of 40 than I did at, say, 28, when I was still coming into my own.

Fatherhood@Forty: Memoirs of a Gen X Suburban Dad™ is a creative outlet to share my experiences and connect with other (relatively) late-in-life dads.

Here are a few factoids about me, Johnathon Briggs, the editor behind this blog:

  • I’m a former journalist (Los Angeles Times, The Baltimore Sun, Chicago Tribune).
  • I love exploring Chicago and the Midwest with my family.
  • I remain on a constant quest to stay fit.
  • I support charities that fight HIV, uplift families affected by incarceration, and ensure African American boys graduate from college.
  • I’m a comic book geek (mostly Marvel, but a bit of DC and Image Comics).
  • I’m a child of the ‘80s, so please expect occasional references to the Golden Age of Hip-Hop.

As a reporter for daily newspapers, I had the opportunity to interview fascinating people and to test out great products and brands for my readers. I hope to do the same for you as I blog about the moments that make up this adventure called fatherhood.

Feel free to tweet (@fatherhoodforty) or email (fatherhoodforty@gmail.com) me if you’d like to collaborate or have ideas for a blog post.

Father on,

Elegant handwritten initials in black ink.

P.S. Check out The Art of Conversation podcast interview I did with Art Eddy from Life of Dad.

Disclaimer: Fatherhood@Forty may contain affiliate marketing links, which may result in commission on sales of products or services I write about. My editorial content is not influenced by advertisers or affiliate partnerships. This disclosure is provided in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR § 255.5: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

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About

Few may know this, but twice as many dads of newborns today are now in the 40-plus age group, compared to the 1970s. Six weeks before my 40th birthday, I became a first-time father, hence the title of this blog.

This life-changing moment made me think about my own dad, who became a father at 43. As my parenthood journey unfolded, I noticed that most of my friends had become parents earlier in life yet, here I was, changing diapers and battling sleep deprivation at (nearly) 40. I told my wife, “Parenting is definitely a young man’s game.” But is it really?

Where most of my friends were preparing for their children’s middle and high school graduations, I was mastering the art of the swaddle, perfecting the one-hand baby wipe, and learning to decipher my daughter’s gurgles and whimpers. It occurred to me that I had so much more to offer my daughter at the sure-footed age of 40 than I did at, say, 28, when I was still coming into my own.

Fatherhood@Forty: Memoirs of a Gen X Suburban Dad™ is a creative outlet to share my experiences and connect with other (relatively) late-in-life dads.

Here are a few factoids about me, Johnathon Briggs, the editor behind this blog:

I’m a former journalist (Los Angeles Times, The Baltimore Sun, Chicago Tribune).

I love exploring Chicago and the Midwest with my family.

I remain on a constant quest to stay fit.

I support charities that fight HIV, uplift families affected by incarceration, and ensure African American boys graduate from college.

I’m a comic book geek (mostly Marvel, but a bit of DC and Image Comics).

I’m a child of the ‘80s, so please expect occasional references to the Golden Age of Hip-Hop.

As a reporter for daily newspapers, I had the opportunity to interview fascinating people and to test out great products and brands for my readers. I hope to do the same for you as I blog about the moments that make up this adventure called fatherhood.

Feel free to tweet (@fatherhoodforty) or email (fatherhoodforty@gmail.com) me if you’d like to collaborate or have ideas for a blog post.

Father on,

Elegant handwritten initials in black ink.

P.S. Check out The Art of Conversation podcast interview I did with Art Eddy from Life of Dad.

Disclaimer: Fatherhood@Forty may contain affiliate marketing links, which may result in commission on sales of products or services I write about. My editorial content is not influenced by advertisers or affiliate partnerships. This disclosure is provided in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR § 255.5: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

We Owe It To Each Other to Tell Stories.— Neil Gaiman

Fatherhood@Forty

Memoirs of a Gen X Suburban Dad

Joy, Despite It All

By Johnathon E. Briggs

In My Daughter’s Growth, I See the Shape of My Own

By Johnathon E. Briggs

The Work That Never Ends

By Johnathon E. Briggs

In memoriam: Tracy Airrion Pruitt

By Johnathon E. Briggs

Pierced Ears Latest Sign Daughter Forging Own Life Path

By Johnathon E. Briggs

Take a Moment for Yourself to be Your Best Self

By Johnathon E. Briggs
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🖊 Memoirs of a Gen X Suburban Dad • ΑΦΑ
💭 Views are my own

Couldn't resist jumping onboard this latest AI art Couldn't resist jumping onboard this latest AI art trend. Lots of fun. I remember the "early" days of generative AI when you couldn't get a result that resembled you unless you were famous. #aiart
My last blog post of 2025. Here's to more joy in 2 My last blog post of 2025. Here's to more joy in 2026. Excerpt:

"Two weeks ago, the folks at @merriamwebster named their 2025 Word of the Year: slop. Not the kind ladled onto cafeteria trays in old prison movies. This slop refers to the tidal wave of low-quality digital content churned out by artificial intelligence.

But while the dictionary gatekeepers chose slop, I’ve chosen a shorter and sweeter word: joy.

If words were prayers, then joy is the one I’m lifting up for 2026—for myself, for you, for us. Joy feels like sunlight through leaves, laughter bursting from the belly, that song you forgot you loved. Joy is what it feels like to breathe deeply and, in that moment, know you are alive and enough.

Merriam-Webster defines joy as “a feeling of great happiness or pleasure.” But 2025 didn’t overflow with either. Everyone I know seems worn thin, exhausted by a world ravaged by division and war, littered with headlines about humanity at its worst."

Click "All Blog Posts" link in bio to read the full post.
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#JoyInTheEveryday #BlackJoy #DadLife #ParentingMoments
#IntentionalLiving #WordOfTheYear
#2026Goals #ChooseJoy #ResistanceThroughJoy #HappyNewYear #Hello2026
#NewYearReflection
Never a dull moment with this one. #girldad Never a dull moment with this one. #girldad
Oh, the laughs we had trying to get this big a** b Oh, the laughs we had trying to get this big a** birthday balloon home yesterday. Sugar Smacks: “I can’t stop laughing, Daddy. There’s a balloon in the backseat!” I couldn’t stop either. It took me three full minutes to figure out how to get this damn thing in the car. And when I did, I overheard the dumbfounded cart guy in the parking lot say to his friend, “I’m surprised he got it in there.” Oh ye of little faith. Never underestimate the power of a determined dad. It didn’t matter that my rear view was completely obscured by mylar, the mission was accomplished. This spur-of-the-moment purchase was well worth the effort: Sugar Smacks loves it. Happy 11th birthday, my little Leo! #girldad
The latest from the blog: "Life with a tween bring The latest from the blog: "Life with a tween brings its own surprises—new smells that call for deodorant, sly attempts at bedtime to hide an iPad under the covers, and the unsettling realization that although my daughter is slowly transforming before my eyes, I’m somehow blind to the changes.

At her last physical, under the fluorescent lights of her pediatrician’s office, she slipped off her sneakers, stepped onto a scale, and clocked in at 89 pounds and nearly 5 feet tall—just nine inches shy of me. I didn’t see that coming. “Where did this height come from?” I wondered, as if I haven’t seen her every day of her natural life."

Link to full post in bio.

#fatherhoodunplugged #dadlifemoments #girldad #moderndad #fatherhoodrising #parentingjourney #raisinggoodhumans #parentingtruths #parentingthroughchange #parentinginreallife #fatheringtogether #parenthoodreflections #timeflies #bittersweetmoments #thejourneyisthedestination
Sugar Smacks insisted that we go for a bike ride. Sugar Smacks insisted that we go for a bike ride. So we did. Love this girl. #summmertime☀️
Happy Father’s Day! #fathersday2025 Happy Father’s Day! #fathersday2025
Today's #aiart challenge: Imajuneation 2025 - Gene Today's #aiart challenge: Imajuneation 2025 - Generate This in Your Style, Day 4. Hosted by @nickocreates.ai, inspired by the lovely artwork of @queenshadowrama (last slide).

#thisisaiart made with #midjourney and #dalle by @fatherhood_at_forty at Blank Canvas Studio.
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#aiart #aiartcommunity #artchallenge #promptengineer #fauxtography #gtiys2025 #imajuneation2025
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