This is episode two of the eight hour goodbye and we're stepping into the mindset of a dad who doesn't back down. The driver dad, he's wired to move forward through setbacks, through pressure, through whatever it takes to get to the finish line. For him, it's not about comfort or control. It's about momentum progress.

and doing what has to be done. If you've ever stared down a challenge and thought, bring it, this episode might feel like home, or maybe it'll remind you of the dad who raised you, the one who refused to quit. Maybe it's your brother, your best friend, ladies. Maybe it's your husband. Let's be honest. No matter who this story reminds you of, we're not all wired exactly the same.

But when you understand what drives someone, you understand them differently, more clearly and more generously. So let's take a look at how the driver dad shows up when the pressure is rising and the goodbyes have to begin. All right, picture this. It's Thursday afternoon. You're a dad. You're crushing it.

The tail end of your work week is here and the phone rings. It's the family. Your great aunt Ruth, that one who practically built your family's backbone, teaching your dad grit. She's taken a sharp downturn hospice now, not panic level urgent, but crystal clear. If goodbye matters, this weekend's your shot.

She's eight hours out tucked in some quiet rural spot and yeah, you've already locked in you're going and your 10 year old Lily? She's tagging along too. No backups, no outs. Today's Thursday. Shove off is Friday post work gone till Sunday morning, 16 hours behind the wheel. One overnight.

a visit that could be raw poetry or stiff silence or soul deep gold. Now the real question hits, how do you tackle this logistics, feelings, burnout, kid time, the farewell, the long call back. What grabs your eye? What lights your fire and what do you shove?

front and center. How do you pivot? It's all you. It's already there. It's already wired in deep. This is the eight hour goodbye through the eyes of a dad who's built to charge forward.

flip forward one day. It's Friday now, 5:58 a.m. Mike's alarm silenced mid beep. He's already lacing up, hitting the pavement for an early morning 5 K. It's only three miles, he tells himself. Sweat pouring, lungs burning. This isn't therapy.

This is Battle Prep.

Call hit him yesterday like a gut punch. Aunt Ruth is fading fast. No time for dwelling. He's mapping the assault. He wants to crush the day, clear the decks, and launch without any drag. 7.02 a.m. Boom, he's at his desk. Emails blitzing out. Nine fired. Each laced with his very well-known language. Cut the fluff. Deliver results.

Wherever dads don't tie up loose ends, they obliterate them. Meetings, he's slashed them to essentials. Agendas are enforced like law. Delegating, he's absolutely handled it. Everybody knows what to do with zero ambiguity. He says very clearly, own it or escalate. No middle ground. Even his out of

office is rewarded and raw gone till Monday handle your fires. Mine are contained. He's not heartless. He's honed and this isn't dodging grief. It's fueling the charge by noon. His command is absolute. Lily's kit. It's slammed together. He's got a durable backpack. No frills close.

quick energy bars that won't crush her.

What routes are you going to take? It's locked in Waze. He's got alternate paths for those crazy traffic snarls that may come up. Snacks, protein packs, hydration tabs built for endurance, not indulgence. This man will overcome. This man will advance. This man will meet the challenge. For guys like Mike, stalling is the enemy. Action's the ally.

At 4:02 p.m. It's system shut down. Door slammed. Rear view. He's not looking at it empty. He is advancing minutes later. Lily is scooped up curbside from her school. His engine idling hot bags. He just tosses those in the trunk. No ceremony, just efficiency. She buckles up and quirks her brow. Dad!

Why so intense? It's just a long drive. Mike shoots back, eyes on the horizon. Not intense, sweetie. Intentional. We've got a lot of ground to cover.

She shrugs her shoulders, cracks open her sketchbook, and just gets in her own world. Mike, he cranks his playlist. Forward thrust, pounding beats from ACDC to adrenaline anthems.

Merging on the highway, seamless, aggressive, weaving lanes like obstacles in a gauntlet. He treats those other cars like they're stationary. GPS, it's guessing 12:18 arrival. Mike's internal clock, let's see if can beat it before midnight. No mercy for delays, no traffic in his ways.

No fluff binders, no label treats, just a cooler with basics. He's got his gas tank full and his resolve is in place. Mid-drive, Lily pipes up, hey dad, can we pull over? My legs are cramping. He grits.

Quickly calculates the time loss and then veers over to the next rest stop. This isn't weakness. This is wisdom. The team's only strong is the weakest link sweetie. Stretch it out. Five minutes max. She stands there stretching a little bit, tossing some pebbles. He looks for issues, tweaks the tire pressure just out of instinct. And when the clock hits five minutes,

Boom, back in motion. Engine roaring, drowning out all the doubts, hands locked, ten and two, gaze piercing ahead in the dark. He's not shut out emotionally, he's channeling it into his drive.

But here's the crack.

Lily murmurs, hey dad.

You okay?

You okay about Aunt Ruth?

He pauses.

Voice dropping. Yeah. Hurts.

But we push through.

That's how we honor.

Mike is not racing time, he's conquering it. He advances, he overcomes, he makes an impact to prove that resolve wins.

Well, Saturday, just after midnight, he rolled in 12:07 touchdown at the motel.

He knew it. He, he knew he'd beat that time. Motel basic bed functional distractions. None. Mike crashes hard. He recharges not reflects well rested.

He gets up at 8:45 a.m. He gulps his black coffee down. Lily stirs. He nudges her up and at him sweetie. Today's the objective. He didn't have any scripted monologues for her. He's just being strong for impact.

His mantra, deliver the message, make it count. 9:58 a.m. Hospice lot claimed just a little early, well positioned. Mike tells Lily firmly, but kindly, this will be tough, but you're built for it. I've got your six. He strides in his posture in command, his gaze direct.

He greets staff with a nod, a handshake, here for Ruth, lead the way. Kneels by her bed, grips her hand solid.

Ruth, Mike here. You've fought hard for us. You taught us to stand tall. We're returning the favor. You're not in this alone. Raw, real, no sugar coat. Lily steps up. Clear her throat. Voice a little wobbly. Yeah, Ruth. Thanks. Thanks for being tough.

Like Dad. Ruth stirs faintly.

Eyes open briefly and she lets out like kind of raspy.

WRONG!

That's all that can escape. Her hand tightens once. Mike nods and he swallows really hard.

No tears. Not because he's avoiding grief, but because grief is fuel for the road ahead of him. In life, you don't sit, just sit in grief. You move beyond it. Once outside, he squeezes Lily's shoulder. You nailed that real strength there.

Mike didn't embellish. He executed. He wanted to make an impact. Be key. Take charge. Have a presence that punches through it all afternoon is waning down Saturday nights coming hard. There's no wallowing in the afterglow. Mike knows mission hit impact landed forward now, but the bulldozer

He pauses.

Lily's quiet, still processing. So he probes her a little bit. Talk to me. What's stuck?

She just whispers, it was sad. It was so sad.

but we did it. He affirms are damn right. Hard things build you. by 3 45 PM their wheels were heading home. Lily sees already tired and dozing probably from the emotion. Mike, he debriefs solo.

could hit earlier. Nah, delivered clean. Then aloud as she wakes up, life throws curves. We swing hard. That's the legacy, sweetie. She challenges him a little softly, but dad, sometimes it's okay. Just, just to, just to feel it. He hesitates, nods slowly.

Feeling's fine, but if it doesn't move you to act, it fades fast.

But that made him think. So before he gets too much further down the road, he logs a voice memo on his phone. It's about 12 seconds long.

next time, build in a little bit of space for her to talk sooner. Don't just manage. Listen a little more.

That note is not sidestepping his heart. It's harnessing it to stand unbreakable later. Mike's going to overcome. Mike's going to advance. Mike's going to meet the challenge. Sure enough, early, early Sunday morning, just after midnight, they're back home.

He unloads. They hit the sack hard so they're ready for church Sunday morning. Usual morning routine gets him up, gets him out and at 9 15 a.m. they cross the threshold. Mike in his crisp shirt. Lily's hair is a little out of place, but she stands tall. They grab a pew back straight. All the congregation around him hums.

and obliviousness until one neighbor leans in. Rough weekend.

Mike just says, handled it. No fanfare, no spill. But internally, he knows. Challenge met, family fortified, path cleared. As Lily leans in, he thinks, barrier down. We charged. We finished fierce. He doesn't need closure. He needs completion. This, it's done.

It all mattered. He finished. He made an impact. He took charge. And that's enough.

Dads, that was the 8 hour goodbye through the eyes of a driver dad. A man who sees a finish line and moves toward it no matter the obstacles. He doesn't wait for permission. He leads. He acts. He gets things done.

If that felt familiar, it might be because this is your wiring too. Just a reminder, MCode doesn't just describe what you do. It reveals why you do it. And when you understand your own motivation code, your self doubt starts to fade. You stop second guessing. You start leading with focus, conviction, and clarity. You show up ready to solve.

ready to stretch, ready to push through for the people who matter most in your life. If this was your first episode, welcome. This is part two of an eight part series and every week we explore this exact story through the lens of a different dad. So come back next week or go back and catch up first. Find the voice that fits you. And if you're ready to know exactly what's driving you,

What's motivating you? What's compelling you? Take the motivation code assessment at dntmoo re.com. It's the same tool that powers these stories and it'll give you the words and insight to lead from your truest self. Because clarity leads to confidence. And confidence builds legacy.

Thanks for joining us for another episode of the Smart Dad Podcast. Now go out and be a smart dad today. You've got this. We can do it together.