My husband, Cole, refused to change our baby Rosie’s diapers, insisting it “wasn’t a man’s job.” That night, exhausted and overwhelmed, I realized yelling wouldn’t change his mind. He needed a wake-up call.

The next morning, I called Walter—Cole’s father who’d abandoned him years ago. I invited Walter over to share his regrets and warn Cole about the consequences of checking out as a dad.

When Walter arrived, Cole froze at the sight of the father who’d left him. Walter admitted he’d once believed parenting wasn’t his job either, but it cost him his family. He urged Cole not to repeat his mistakes.

Later, Cole confessed he was scared he was becoming like his father. But he promised to try, starting with changing Rosie’s diaper that very night.

Breaking the cycle won’t happen overnight, but for the first time, I saw Cole willing to step up—not just as a provider, but as a father. Because sometimes love means holding up a mirror and deciding to be better, one diaper at a time.