This content was created by Victor Justin Rhodes. This content was uploaded by Victor Justin Rhodes. This is a YouTube video titled "I Used To Have a Dad | But this One Gift Still Lasts" (content_type: YOUTUBE) with a diarized English transcript recorded 2020-02-29 (last edited 2026-04-10). The excerpt captures an informal parent-child interaction: SPEAKER A (an adult/vlogger) preparing a child (SPEAKER B) to go out, comforting them after a minor head injury, and telling a story about time spent with friends (Arthur and his son Wilder). The adult reflects on fatherhood, memories of their own (now-deceased) father, and the value of intentional parenting. The tone is familial, reflective, and conversational in nature.
Chapters
You getting warmed up, Mr. Brown?
Yeah.
Okay, what about a coat? Probably gonna need a coat or a sweater this morning. I couldn't find the sweater. Let's hope he goes with a coat. Come here. I thought he wanted to go. You don't want to go? No, we've ate all the noodles. Come on, I gave you some pineapple. Did you eat it? All right, you just come when you're ready, okay? Here's your coat. I'm gonna leave it. I'm gonna get the supplies. Why don't you leave it? Well, I would love for you to go, but I can only help— you gotta help. I can only help those who help themselves. Can't force the jacket on you, buddy. Cheese? We don't have any more apples. We do have some cheese if you just want straight up cheese. I'll wait for you. Are you getting your stuff? That's my son, Mr. Brown. Last night, Mr. Brown was laying in our bed and he went to lean back to actually lay down. I guess he was sitting up in our bed and he hit his head. I'm ready to go. Are you ready to go? Uh-oh, are you in the bathroom?
Yeah.
Uh, all right, you come when you're ready.
No, don't leave me!
All right, Mr. Brown, how much longer? Put the pressure, put the pressure. How much longer, Mr. Brown? Well, anyway, he hit his head and I could see that he was trying to be tough, but he was also hurt. And if you've— if you have children, you know— hey, there you are! You need help putting that up? If you have children, you know that after they get hurt— what happens, Mr. Brown, after you get hurt? Don't know. You want to hug. You want a hug from Mama or Papa. Hey, get in. What? Let's show the people what happened. So the little side light was on. Come on, hop in the bed like you were doing last night. I want to, I want to tell the story of last night, how you hit your head.
Really?
Yeah.
I have to hit my head again?
No, don't hit your head again. We're just gonna pretend, okay?
Okay.
Sit down there. So he was sitting up and we wanted him to lay down so he would actually go to sleep, didn't we? Yeah. But you were a little higher than that. You were like right here. And I said, Mr. Brown, lay down. And then you go— you obediently go and hit your head just like that. And you were trying to be tough, weren't you? Yeah. But then what happened?
Uh, you hugged me.
Oh, I did, didn't I? I hugged you. Didn't that make you feel better? That made you feel better. And I told you a story. I did. I told you a story. All right, come on. So sometimes— the cat just jumped up in the frame. Can you get out of the frame? Can you get out of frame? Can you get out of the frame? I'll give you a pet first. I'll give you a pet. All right, so where are my boots? All right, so anyway, sometimes when a child gets hurt, it's good to tell them a story. And besides, I had this nice story I wanted to get off my chest and express with Gideon. Oh, I forgot the pills. I've got to take the umbrella to protect the vloggers. Oh, is that the way you help me come stand here? All right, grab the tumbler. Can you grab the tumbler?
What's this?
No, you might have to put down the shotgun. All right, did you grab the tumbler? You got it? All right, let's go. Hey, wait a minute. Did you really move the luchadors?
Yeah.
And did the pigs— I thought we were doing it just in the evening. I moved them yesterday afternoon, so yeah. Did you give them hay? Yeah. And water? And you fed the pigs? Uh, yes. Good job, guys. Proud of you. Mr. Brown, come on. Wow, my man Jonah, my man, you're on it. What's the motivation?
Done earlier.
Okay. I'm sick of being done at 9 or 10 o'clock. Wow, it's only 7:40, my man. Mm-hmm. Good job. So what I started to tell Gideon about was our time yesterday with Arthur and his son Wilder. You got it? Yeah. Alright, I'm gonna let you do it. Good job. I told them about how we— how Arthur came with his his son and we rode together in Sally. We decided to jump in. We were going to see the cows anyway. I remember just how cute and special that was. Seeing Arthur, me as a dad, and seeing another dad being a good dad. Holding the baby on the lap and the baby having a great time. Wow, wow! He's a little scared of them, but he loves them. And then I remembered a moment when we were out in the field throwing hay. I don't think I got it on camera or anything, but I saw Wilder up at the edge of the woods just, you know, banging some sticks and just having a good old time talking, telling us something important. He was dead serious but having a great time. And what I found out was Arthur was up there clearing the trail so that Sally could get through without rubbing the branches. You know, he's like that. He looks around and sees what needs to be done. But I remember saying to Rebecca, this is the way a child should grow up. You know, we're out there in the country. We're out there in the wide open. He's playing with sticks. He's just having a great time. He's doing a little bit of work. Remember, he helped put the minerals in the mineral shower. Get more than that. Oh, it goes in this one right here. That's how a kid's supposed to grow up. But then this morning I realized what was so special about that. It wasn't necessarily that Wilder was out in the country and free and able to have a good time. Those things are good and great. You know what was really special about that is Wilder was probably not just playing with those sticks. He was probably acting like his dad, and he was spending time with his dad. He was riding on his lap. There was a moment when we were— here, let's go up there. Hey, Brianna. Hi, good to see you.
Thank you.
You gonna watch her and go for it?
Yeah.
Okay, I'll be right back. I think it was about right here. We were coming out, we were done. The little boy had a seatbelt on, you know, Arthur, and the little boy had their seatbelts on, and his belly was protruding like a little doll baby troll belly or something. And I was teasing him, I'd say, what'd you do, you swallowed a watermelon? You didn't invite me to the party. You swallowed a watermelon. He's just sitting on his dad, just being held and just having a good time. How's it going out here, Becky? Going great, rain or shine.
That's right.
You have everything you need?
Yeah, I'm about to give her her outfit.
Okay, good. So I was remembering that story with Art and Wilder, and I was sharing it with Gideon, and I said to Gideon I used to have a dad. And I got a little emotional. I don't think I cried, but I was on the edge because yeah, I used to have a dad. 3 and a half months ago I had a dad. But I told Gideon I used to have a dad that would hug me when I was sad and hurt. That I could run to when I was little. I can remember one time walking around at a fair with him and him, his just big hands, my little hands, and he just holding tight with his big strong hands and it just brought so much comfort to me. He would let go, he would ease up, I would say, "No, squeeze," and he would squeeze. Trying to get the strength to say this. I don't have a dad anymore, but I still have the strength that, that, that of what he gave me in those moments, but not just the moments of comfort when I was sad or frightened. But the moments of sitting on his lap that I don't even remember. The moments of working with him that I most definitely remember. So what I guess I'm saying here is, dads, sure, we're growing cabbages. Sure, we're building houses. Sure, we're doing great and mighty things. We're opting out of the system and we're going against the norm for better lives. For us and our children, our great-grandchildren. But, uh, we're not just growing cabbages. First, we're growing children. How's it going over here, Brianna? Did you hear that story?
No, I mean, I can hear that you were talking.
Well, the long and short of it is It's been nice to see Art with his children. He's a good dad.
Yeah, he's a really good dad.
Where do you think he got that from? You know what I mean? It seems like when he's around, he's around and he's with his children. He's not just with them and helping them out, helping you with them. He's like intentional about it. Taking them on jobs, taking them to soccer, or whatever.
I think that for him, our kids are one of his greatest— basically his greatest joy. I mean, I could say one of, but I don't, I don't think that he finds more purpose in anything than being their dad. Oh, I mean, obviously he's, he's got other things that give him delight and stuff, but I think he really likes being a dad, you know. Are you filming me right now?
