Chronicling life as a new father to his beautiful firstborn child – daughter Thea – Chris Kerr’s goal is to provide all men experiencing fatherhood for the first time with some invaluable tips and tricks as they are learned – the hard way. This week, Chris remembers what he learned from Steve Legg about being a great dad.
Steve and I met for lunch the day after the night from hell. Thea had woken up on the hour, every hour throughout the night and I was knackered. No amount of coffee that morning woke me up. I wanted to be at my best and brightest when I met Steve because, you know, it is Steve Legg! I needn’t have worried. Two hours with him over a healthy meal (we were both Type 1 Diabetics – or as we ended up terming it ‘1st Class Diabetics’) and couldn’t help but leave happy and full of energy. He was that kind of man. The rare type that leaves everyone they speak to better off than they were before they met them.
One of the topics that we discussed was fatherhood. For all of his incredible things he achieved – the gigs, the books, Sorted Magazine, the 1.5million miles he covered for Christ – his wife and kids were his pride and joy. After discussing the various ways a father can scare away boys from their daughters (we came up with an intimidating look) we came to the agreement that our real legacy would be the way we loved our families.
Reflecting on Steve’s life now, he modelled two things that I and other fathers must aspire to do for our kids. The first is to be present and loving dads. For those of us that enjoyed Steve’s Up Front column in every issue of Sorted, we know just how important his family life was to him. His hilarious but profound stories always involved his family life.
The second thing that I learned from Steve, really moves me. Dads have a responsibility to get up every day and make the world a better place for their kids. We need to be out there shaping a community, a nation, a world that enables our kids to grow into adults and thrive. Steve modelled this in so many ways. He travelled around the country to perform comedy shows that brought people into new or closer relationships with Jesus. He hosted radio shows and podcasts to bring laughter, joy and serious conversations into the cars and homes of thousands of people. He founded and grew Sorted which has been a remarkable challenger in the men’s magazine market, one which – until Steve – was full of messaging about how money, possessions, sex and fame were the making of men.
The message from Sorted has always been that true masculinity is a far deeper thing – it is about having great character, overcoming our worst moments, and taking responsibility for ourselves, our loved ones, and the world around us In many ways, his work has meant that we don’t need to use that intimidating look we came up with to scare away boys quite as much as we did before Sorted existed. But don’t worry Steve – ‘the look’© will get used (and it already is every time a boy approaches Thea in her baby/toddler group).
Being honest, I am not ready to say goodbye to Steve. Somehow, I feel immeasurably better off for working with him yet at the same time significantly worse off without him being here. I guess that too is the mark of a great man and a great dad. We love you, Steve. God bless.
TIP OF THE WEEK: Go back and read Steve’s books and articles and listen to his recorded radio shows and podcasts. You may not have got to meet him, but you still get to learn from him. You will be a better man – and dad – for it.
Main Photo Credit: Courtesy of Steve Legg’s family
New Dad Diaries 35: What Steve Legg taught me
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Chronicling life as a new father to his beautiful firstborn child – daughter Thea – Chris Kerr’s goal is to provide all men experiencing fatherhood for the first time with some invaluable tips and tricks as they are learned – the hard way. This week, Chris remembers what he learned from Steve Legg about being a great dad.
Steve and I met for lunch the day after the night from hell. Thea had woken up on the hour, every hour throughout the night and I was knackered. No amount of coffee that morning woke me up. I wanted to be at my best and brightest when I met Steve because, you know, it is Steve Legg! I needn’t have worried. Two hours with him over a healthy meal (we were both Type 1 Diabetics – or as we ended up terming it ‘1st Class Diabetics’) and couldn’t help but leave happy and full of energy. He was that kind of man. The rare type that leaves everyone they speak to better off than they were before they met them.
One of the topics that we discussed was fatherhood. For all of his incredible things he achieved – the gigs, the books, Sorted Magazine, the 1.5million miles he covered for Christ – his wife and kids were his pride and joy. After discussing the various ways a father can scare away boys from their daughters (we came up with an intimidating look) we came to the agreement that our real legacy would be the way we loved our families.
Reflecting on Steve’s life now, he modelled two things that I and other fathers must aspire to do for our kids. The first is to be present and loving dads. For those of us that enjoyed Steve’s Up Front column in every issue of Sorted, we know just how important his family life was to him. His hilarious but profound stories always involved his family life.
The second thing that I learned from Steve, really moves me. Dads have a responsibility to get up every day and make the world a better place for their kids. We need to be out there shaping a community, a nation, a world that enables our kids to grow into adults and thrive. Steve modelled this in so many ways. He travelled around the country to perform comedy shows that brought people into new or closer relationships with Jesus. He hosted radio shows and podcasts to bring laughter, joy and serious conversations into the cars and homes of thousands of people. He founded and grew Sorted which has been a remarkable challenger in the men’s magazine market, one which – until Steve – was full of messaging about how money, possessions, sex and fame were the making of men.
The message from Sorted has always been that true masculinity is a far deeper thing – it is about having great character, overcoming our worst moments, and taking responsibility for ourselves, our loved ones, and the world around us In many ways, his work has meant that we don’t need to use that intimidating look we came up with to scare away boys quite as much as we did before Sorted existed. But don’t worry Steve – ‘the look’© will get used (and it already is every time a boy approaches Thea in her baby/toddler group).
Being honest, I am not ready to say goodbye to Steve. Somehow, I feel immeasurably better off for working with him yet at the same time significantly worse off without him being here. I guess that too is the mark of a great man and a great dad. We love you, Steve. God bless.
TIP OF THE WEEK: Go back and read Steve’s books and articles and listen to his recorded radio shows and podcasts. You may not have got to meet him, but you still get to learn from him. You will be a better man – and dad – for it.
Main Photo Credit: Courtesy of Steve Legg’s family
Chris Kerr
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