The Reason I Make Christmas Cookies Every February Artwork

In My Daddy Era: Confessions from a First-Time Father

In My Daddy Era is a place for me to slow down and say the things I don’t want to forget.

Each episode is a short reflection on becoming a first-time father. The moments that catch me off guard, the feelings I didn’t expect, the fear, the joy, and the quiet in-between. Sometimes it’s something big. Sometimes it’s something small. But it’s always honest.

This isn’t a parenting podcast or a guide on how to do things “right.” It’s more like an audio journal of me talking through what fatherhood is teaching me in real time, while I’m still learning it myself.

The episodes are short, lightly edited, and recorded whenever life makes something feel worth capturing. Just reflections I want to remember… and maybe something my daughter will hear one day and understand how deeply she was loved.

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In My Daddy Era: Confessions from a First-Time Father

The Reason I Make Christmas Cookies Every February

March 16, 2026 • Richard Dodds • Episode 3

0:00 | 3:08

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Traditions are often just things we do because "that’s how it’s always been." But for Rick, a new tradition was born out of a promise made in a hospital room. In this episode, Rick explores the bittersweet reality of his daughter growing up without her aunt, and how he is using "February Christmas Cookies" to bridge the gap between the sister he lost and the daughter he’s raising.

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My sister was sad because she didn't get to make me Christmas cookies that year. I told her not to worry, that we could just make them in February instead. But for her, February never came. I'm Rick, and this is in my daddy era. Confessions from a first-time father that's starting to understand why traditions are so important. Every year around Christmas, my sister would make me Christmas cookies. It didn't matter how old I was, but who knew from that and one of our last conversations, a tradition would be born. Having my daughter at times really makes me miss my sister even more than I already do. Particularly because there are times that my daughter is the spitting image of her. Other times it's just because I know how much my sister loved me and how much she would have adored my daughter, and probably spoiled and tried to take her. Kind of like my mom does. My daughter never got to meet her auntie, but that doesn't mean I can't share memories and stories of the things that made my sister so special. Lessons she can learn from her life, the motivations and ideas she planted in her third grade students, and how she touched the people around her. So, in a way, she can help raise my daughter, even though she's not here with us physically. I've never really been much for traditions because many times the meaning gets lost to time. But having my daughter has made me think about traditions our family can make. A tradition I started this year is Christmas cookies in February around Valentine's Day. It's a fun way to remember my sister while teaching my daughter about her auntie. It's also a great opportunity to spend with my wife and daughter, something that has meaning that I hope she cherishes as she grows older. This year she was much too young to participate, but she got to watch my wife and I bake it in the kitchen. What made it tough was I had to eat my daughter's share of the cookies. Ooh, the torture. But I do it for my family. While I may never be as good of a baker as my sister was, my family and I get to honor her in a very small way every year. Is it dishonor if the cookies come out bad? Hmm. Something I think about. The thing about traditions is that you get to decide as a family which ones you want to participate in, and you also get to make new traditions. I hope the things that we do and teach our daughter gives her anchors of memories that she can hold on to long after we're gone, and maybe some traditions to pass down to her future family. If you have a tradition that you like to share, use the link in the show notes to send me a text. I would love to hear it. And as for now, as I continue in my daddy journey, I'm still learning, still growing, and still showing up. Until next time.