Field Notes from Daddy

Self-seduction, Margo from The Hunting Wives, a toothpick between my lips, and the vibe for 2026

I’ve not only chosen a feeling for 2026 - powerful - but a vibe. Daddy.

Calm, cool, confident, thumbs hooked in 501 jeans belt loops, cowboy hat tipped forward, toothpick between my lips. No need to explain or justify myself. Cheeks flushed with the self-confidence that comes from knowing who you are (and aren’t).

Untamed hair blowing in the wind, elbow on the car window, snapping gum while listening to “Denial is a River”, sipping on cherry kombucha, leaving red lip marks on a white straw. Throwing shame and blame out the window like an apple core.

Unapologetic, laid back, with a power that makes the air shimmer. Breast plate exposed, decorated with a gold chain and nameplate. Looks you right in the eye. Shows you how to drive stick and invest. Sexual charisma oozing out of her pores. Takes care of business. Daddy is not afraid of her power - any of it.

I tried it yesterday. Before a difficult meeting, I stepped into Daddy. Rolled my shoulders back. Unclenched my jaw. Leaned back. I gave people the benefit of the doubt. Let the silence sit. Instead of jumping in to smooth things over, I just breathed. I said what I had to say. Didn’t wonder if it landed right. And when it was over, I got a strong matcha latte, and moved on.

Even if the meeting didn’t magically become less challenging, it helped me stay in my body and power.

Daddy doesn’t wonder. Daddy knows.

Margo from The Hunting Wives embodies “Daddy”. It’s a highly-entertaining, trashy, soap opera number, reminiscent of Dallas, Dynasty, or some show from the 1990s, but Margo makes it all worth it. Love her or leave her, she has magnetic charm and self-assurance, alpha female energy that’s sexy and Daddy af.

When Sophie asks Margo why she’s cheating on her husband with 18-year-old Brad, Margo replies,

“Because I want to.” A complete sentence.

Because I want to is such a Daddy answer.

Maybe, for 2026, we don’t need more of a reason than because I want to.

Daddy energy is being radically honest - with yourself first. Not avoiding uncomfortable truths because they might lead to big changes. As I get older, getting real about what I really want, and being able to express it, is liberating.

I used to be afraid of saying what I needed if I thought it might mean losing someone, so I sandpapered parts of myself instead. I didn’t realize self-effacing was more damaging than owning my truth. Daddy doesn’t pretend, force, or convince. If it’s not meant to be, she’s open to what is, knowing she has herself—and that’s enough.

I want more of that. The solidity. The stillness. The way Daddy energy feels in my chest—like a low hum, a pilot light that doesn’t flicker. A cat-eyed wink to myself and a thumbs up. Bad jokes when I am feeling down. A bowl of Wheaties when I need a snack. A firm grip on my shoulder.

Being a Daddy is seducing yourself. Making yourself the apple of your eye—someone you want to make sweaty love to, eat burgers in bed with while whispering warm ketchup-breath secrets, spend the rest of your life with. Someone who changes and grows, so you get to fall in love with yourself again and again.

“It’s not enough to desire something, you must become the thing desired.”
— Napoleon Hill

Being Daddy is also trusting yourself when things fall apart. Being your own emergency contact—the one who catches you, stands for you, stares back at you in the mirror with smoldering eyes.

More than anything, even when you fuck it up, you trust yourself to handle it with your heart and head. Someone people can turn to and lean on, showing them the way back to a part of themselves they forgot existed, because you’re tapped into yours.

Everyone benefits from having (and being) a Daddy.

What’s your word for 2026? Not a resolution. Not a goal. A feeling. A vibe. An energy you want to embody so fully it changes how you walk into a room.

Maybe it’s Daddy. Maybe it’s something else entirely.

But whatever it is—step into it.

Become it.

Because you want to.

Keep creating,