As my father drew his last breath, I was working on the Upper east side of Manhattan at Blockhead Burritos serving food to ungrateful tourists and day drinkers who lost their way. My desire for material riches allowed my feeble teenage mind to accept familial neglect as my norm. Many a night have I wandered through the slums of dead-end relationships, sneaker money jobs, and self-destructive endeavors rather than establishing a true bond with my father, missing out on the crucial lessons every young man should learn in order to efficiently maneuver through today’s shark infested waters. 

With nowhere to turn but women, hood stars, and media personalities, many young men like myself have found themselves misguided on what it truly means to be a man and remain resilient in an emotionally driven world.   Struggling to understand the modern-day family dichotomy, I found myself analyzing the mark of a true father; seeking guidance from anyone who crossed my path to gain the wisdom I wish I had learned growing up.  To love unconditionally, to nurture without expectation, and guide through the throes of life. To provide financially, spiritually, mentally, physically, and emotionally without leveraging my own pain, regret, and sorrow against the growth and development of my son. To teach empathy, faith, loyalty, and respect as society rewards laziness, deceit, greed, and vanity.

Silent knight is the voice within, that reassures us that by dedicating ourselves to these 5 precedents we will take back control of our lives, and become emotionally intelligent, purpose driven practitioners who walk in faith, and not by sight.