Austin von Letkemann is the military officer strangers feel "sorry" for — and the reason is infuriating.
Whenever the devoted father leaves the house with his four children, strangers can't help but notice the officer in uniform is holding hands with 4 adorable little girls. They will tell the traditionally "masculine" and "all American" dad they feel sorry for him, because he has no sons. This dad makes one thing very clear: They are his daughters, they aren't a burden.
In a passionate video, von Letkemann took to Instagram to share with his followers that the only thing that's "difficult" about being a girl dad — is clapping back to these sexist remarks over and over again.
They Mock His Daughters To Their Face
When strangers approach Austin von Letkemann and his four daughters, they don't always realize that their comments are being overheard. They seem oblivious to the fact that his girls understand every word. Von Letkemann describes how people will approach him and, without thinking, make remarks like "I'm sorry" or even joke about his lack of sons. What they don't realize is that these comments, intended to be light-hearted or humorous, can be deeply hurtful to his daughters."All my kids can speak and understand English. They know what you’re saying. It hurts their feelings."These strangers are not just disrespecting von Letkemann's choices as a father; they're also sending a message to his daughters that their presence is something to be pitied. It’s a message that von Letkemann won't stand for, and he's speaking out to defend his girls from these insensitive remarks
- Austin von Letkemann, Instagram
Saying "Get Your Shotgun" Isn't Funny — It's Sexist
Another common comment that Austin von Letkemann encounters is the old "better get your shotgun ready" trope, often delivered with a smirk or a wink. This line is typically intended to suggest that a father with daughters should be on high alert to protect them from potential "suitors," implying that they are objects to be guarded rather than individuals with agency.
"No one says this to my wife. They only say this to me."
- Austin von Letkemann, Instagram
Von Letkemann finds this line of thinking outdated and sexist. In his viral Instagram video, he points out that these jokes are not just stale — they're damaging.
By suggesting that his daughters require armed protection, the joke reinforces the idea that women are inherently vulnerable and need to be shielded from men. Von Letkemann argues that instead of promoting this narrative, society should focus on teaching respect and consent, challenging these sexist tropes at their source.
Watch Austin von Letkemann's Video:
"If I Had A Fifth Child, I'd HOPE It Was A Girl" — One Dad's Message For Other Parents
Despite the constant remarks about his lack of sons, Austin von Letkemann is clear: He wouldn't trade his daughters for anything.
In fact, he told his Instagram followers that if he were to have a fifth child, he would hope for another girl. This declaration isn't just about doubling down on his pride in his family — it's a pointed response to those who see fathering daughters as a misfortune.
Von Letkemann's stance is a powerful one, rejecting the notion that a family is incomplete without sons. He encourages others to question the assumptions behind these comments and to appreciate the joy and fulfillment that his daughters bring. By sharing his story, von Letkemann hopes to create a more inclusive perspective on fatherhood, one that values daughters just as much as sons.
Birth of the Butterfly: Our Inner Fuels for Change and Transformation
The power to change and transform is embedded within us all. We live as creatures of habit, yet change is the constancy that we all share. The energy of our universe vibrates with continuity, connection, and creation. A small change within one of us inevitably sends its ripples to another heart. When we fight against this cosmic flow, we step out of our dance with life, and are left bruised by the inner conflict and gasping for air in a breathless stagnation.
Our nature is to seek comfort on our journey. So when we find it, we stay in our comfort zone -- until we are pushed out, and forced back onto the path of our own evolution. Our continuous growth is an existential essential, and the only thing that propels us forward.
Birth of the Butterfly: Our Inner Fuels for Change and Transformation
We fear change after the warm glow of the well-known because it is intangible, something we cannot grip or physically touch. How can we trust something that is unapparent and ambiguous? When we lack trust from within, it naturally filters through, leaving us suspicious, afraid and uncomfortable. And yet, the beauty of life is the very mystery and wonder it keeps.
We have programmed ourselves to sit cocooned in the closet of comfort, preferring to cling to the falsity of the familiar rather than brave the power of possibility. For progress and growth, a deep awakening must often be forced upon us, through a painful occurrence or an inner upheaval and despair. Or an inner desire pushes us to finally emerge into the new, because the fear of staying rooted to the habitual overtakes the one for change -- inspiring us to finally and graciously break free of our cocoons.
Our catalysts and agents for change
We need to be moved quite harshly to be liberated from old habits and behaviors; inner turmoil and despondency prompt us to retreat and rediscover our innate power for reinvention. Our seeds of potential are not sewn in tight spaces; they are frequently found in shadowy open lands, hidden from light and elusively awaiting discovery. Transformation creates confusion and upset, distress and agitation, because a re-birth requires a great unsettling and an exit from what once was.
Life’s change agents act as catalysts for the shifts that are often much needed in our lives. Pain, loss, deep-seated fears, heartbreak, tough times and challenges serve to destabilize our foundations, ripping the comfort from our bones and sparking the light of transformation from deep within. It is only through an inner death, a finality to a certain way of being, that we are pushed toward a new way forward.
When we dull the echo of the inner voice that calls us to evolve and reach for new ground, we only encourage a more forceful push from the universe in some way. Catalysts are exertions and inner magnifications of desperation that knock us down, so we can better learn to fly.
Embracing our dance with life
When we anchor our thoughts, keeping them fixed and immutable, it whittles away our sense of openness, both in mind and heart. Our fear of change disrupts our need for movement and enrichment from new experiences. We move out of life’s dance when we remain rutted in thoughts and behaviors that are neither enlightening nor progressive. It is an inner struggle we all face, yet one that we can adapt to and flow with rather than battle against.
When we observe and liberate our thoughts we can adjust and amplify our mindset to one that does not lock us out of the fresh and unknown, but instead allows us to embrace it. Rather than fight against our challenges we can patiently and fervently guide ourselves through them. When we trust in ourselves we engage with the strength we have within; it becomes our backbone for fortifying our intuitive processes in alignment with a heightened sense of our inner being. Through an enhanced awareness of our transient nature we immerse ourselves into life’s beauty of continuity and rhythm.
The butterfly: a symbol of transformation
Butterflies are a symbol of transformation, joy and originality -- no two sets of butterfly wings are ever the same. They sweep into sun-soaked skies and swirl around petals of vibrant colors, moving swiftly from one to the next as they trust in their dance with beauty. Butterflies are the masters of metamorphosis and adaptability, facilitating change so that life continues. The caterpillar cocooned into her chrysalis does not fight to break the shell or resist her growth. She implicitly trusts in her own inherent timing and continuity of being. Only emerging free when her wings are strong enough to fly; out of the shell breaks the beautiful butterfly.
Butterflies teach us to seek our own flexibility and flow with life. To paint new pictures, brush stroke by brush stroke. We can understand that true beauty lies in our own unique reflection, and that through wakefulness emanates our natural pattern of existence. Just as the butterfly, we can gracefully acknowledge that change is necessary for unravelling our blossom of riches.
Birth of the butterfly
Chaos and conflict create the chemistry for transformation and propel an exodus of the inessential from our lives. We can choose to lace ourselves with a patient and unswerving trust that the new will bring growth and value to our journey. We learn and understand that the time of the faithful caterpillar expires only for the elegance and wonder of a butterfly’s wings to unfold -- transparent and assertive in its individuality, and dynamic in its new-found freedom.