Gents Weekly: Father's Day ...

Issue #22: The manliest newsletter on the internet • June 15, 2026

Jun 15, 2026

Welcome to issue #22 of The Gents Weekly, a newsletter for the modern man.

Every Monday, you’ll receive a weekly roundup of inspiring ideas + products to help you become a better man.

Brought to you by the men of Gents Journey — Dean Bokhari, Stephen Seidel, and Matt McManus.

📝 THE MESSAGE

A timely piece from the gents.
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Note to dad

My father is the kind of man who will quietly do something special for you, and surprise you with it when you least expect it.

He’s been that way all my life.

A few years ago, my dad handed me a massive binder.

It weighed several pounds and looked like a wedding album.

When I opened it, the first thing I saw was a photo of my hand on the day I was born.

On the opposite page, right beside the photo, I saw a little bracelet taped onto the page.

It was the original hospital bracelet I wore as a newborn.

That was the first page of an album filled with hundreds of photos, memories, and accomplishments — from the day I took my first breath, all the way into my 30s.

My father had been quietly collecting things and adding them to this “life album” throughout my entire life…

And I had no clue he was doing it until he presented me with the album just a few years ago.

I often share how my initial exposure to personal development was through books.

But the more I think about it, the more I realize that it wasn’t the self help books that got me started; it was my dad.

Here’s a powerful parenting lesson I’ve learned since becoming a dad myself:

When it comes to raising children, a lot more is caught than taught.

In other words:

Don’t tell your kids what to do, show them.

My father knew this instinctively.

He didn’t teach me self-discipline. He showed me…

He showed me how to live with integrity and principle.
He showed me how a man’s word—his promise—is everything.
He showed me how to navigate life with a sense of deep trust and reliance on God.

He’s been showing me things all my life, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

Being a dad is a privilege; having one is a gift.

— Dean Bokhari
Co-founder, Gents Journey

Share this with a friend who could use it.

📰 THE MOMENT

Sh*t that’s happening now, ICYMI
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This Week’s AI Prompt: Father’s Day

The best dad moments happen in the backyard with the people you love.

There’s something about summer that just hits different.

Screen door in July. Smoke from the grill. Kids running around. A cold drink in your hand (beer, iced tea, lemonade—whatever you’re into). Baseball on the radio. The smell of charcoal. Laughter. Easy conversation. No agenda. Just time.

That’s fatherhood at its best.

Not the Instagram version where you’re doing everything perfect. But the real version. The one where your kid puts their hand on your shoulder while you’re flipping burgers. Where you teach them something without trying. Where they remember the way you smelled like sunscreen and charcoal. Where they felt like they belonged.

This prompt helps you figure out what kind of dad memories you’re actually building—and how to make more of them this summer.

THE PROMPT:

Copy everything below and paste it into ChatGPT or Claude:

I want to think about fatherhood differently this Father's Day. Not about being perfect, but about the moments and memories I'm actually creating. Help me figure out what kind of summer—what kind of dad—I want to be.

Help me:

1. Picture your best dad moment (The one you still remember)
   - What's a moment with your dad (or a father figure) that you still think about?
   - What made it matter? (What was happening? Who was there? How did you feel?)
   - What did he do that made you feel seen, loved, or like you belonged?
   - What would you give to have one more moment like that?

2. Audit what you're actually building right now
   - What are the summer moments you're creating with your kids?
   - Are you present, or are you just there?
   - What are they going to remember about you from this summer?
   - What moments are you creating that they'll think about when they're older?

3. Identify the simple dad moves that matter most
   - When do your kids feel closest to you? (Playing? Cooking? Just hanging out?)
   - What's the small thing you do that makes them light up?
   - What activity or ritual could you start this summer that becomes "your thing"?
   - What's worth putting the phone down for?

4. Design your summer as a dad
   - What's one backyard tradition you want to start? (BBQs? Baseball? Just hanging?)
   - What's one trip or experience you want to do with them?
   - What's one skill or story you want to pass down?
   - How much unstructured time can you protect just for them?

5. Become the dad you wish you had (Or double down on being the dad you had)
   - If your dad was absent or difficult, what do you want to do differently?
   - If your dad was present and loving, what's one thing of his you want to keep doing?
   - What's the legacy you're building? What do you want them to say about you?
   - How do you show up this summer in a way that matters?

Here's my best dad memory: [Describe it—yours or one you wish you had]

Here's what I want my kids to remember about me: [Be specific]

Here's what summer could look like: [Paint the picture]

Don't let me overcomplicate this. Help me see what actually matters and how to build it.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

The AI is going to help you move past “being a good dad” to actually building the memories that matter.

By the end, you’ll have:

A clear picture of what made fatherhood meaningful to you
Awareness of what you’re actually creating right now
Simple dad moves that matter most
A summer plan that’s realistic and rich
A legacy you’re building, not just trying

WHY THIS MATTERS

Kids don’t remember perfection. They remember presence.

They don’t remember the expensive gift. They remember the summer night when you taught them how to grill. When you told them a story. When you put the phone down. When you showed up.

This summer is happening whether you’re intentional about it or not. The question is: what are you building?

Run this prompt. Design your summer. Build the memories.

Drop one backyard moment you’re planning this summer. Let’s see who shows up like they mean it.

— Matt McManus
Co-founder, Gents Journey
Dad Energy All Summer Long

👊 THE MOVES

Media for men.
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The Voices That Stay With Us I Watch Harry Kalas Impression

When Phillies legend Harry Kalas passed away, I recorded this tribute and impression in his honor. Please forgive the quality, as this was 15+ years ago, and got lots of hater comments, lol.

For me, Harry was synonymous with watching the Phils alongside my Dad.

Sometimes it’s funny how a voice can transport you back decades in an instant.

Not just to a place, but to a person. And for the Phillies and me, it’s my dad.

And when we lost Harry, it felt like I lost a piece of us.

Baseball was Our Canvas

Father’s Day has a way of bringing these moments back to the surface.

I can still see him showing up at Little League in his work suit and cowboy boots.

Looking back, I realize it wasn’t baseball that connected us. It was just being there.

Our dads showed up. They taught us lessons without realizing it. They made us feel seen. They gave us their time — still the most valuable thing a father can give.

A friend once told me, “You’re never really a man until you lose your dad.”

At the time, I didn’t understand. Now, six years after his passing, I do.

The Greatest Gift He Gave Me

Together we used to watch the Phillies on Channel 29. Mike Schmidt was my favorite player. I’d have an A-Treat Black Cherry soda. He’d crack one of his cheap beers — he called them his “Archie Bunkers.”

Harry Kalas and Robin Roberts on the mic. Pure poetry in motion.

But what I remember most isn’t the baseball.

It’s that he’d always show up with something — a pack of Donruss, Topps, or Upper Deck cards, or the morning newspaper left on the counter before I was even awake.

You see, gift-giving was his love language. He didn’t say I love you in words. He said it by showing up, thinking of me, and spending time one-on-one.

Now that he’s gone, sometimes I’ll turn on a Phillies game, and I’m right back there — the two of us hand-selecting A-Treat sodas from the case, carrying them home like treasure. Watching Kent Tekulve hold court at Veterans Stadium.

The ordinary moments become the ones we miss the most.

The greatest gift a father gives is his time.

The feeling that no matter what happened in the world, someone was in your corner.