-I was thinking, you know,
"What will people think of me as a dad that I have a gay son?"
Then I thought, "Where did I go wrong?"
-I'm Corbyn Tyson.
This is my wife, Sarah.
We've got three kids.
This is Max, Owen,
and Audrey, who thinks she's Princess Elsa.
I'm on a journey to find out what it means to be a good dad.
[ Mid-tempo music plays ]
My father-in-law and brother-in-law have defined
what it means to have unconditional love.
My brother-in-law, Chuck,
has become my brother from another mother.
I always joke with people that Chuck is not my brother-in-law.
He's just my brother
because there's no law between us,
only love.
A few years ago, Chuck made the brave decision
to tell the family that he was gay.
My wife and I gave our full support
and helped him process this decision
for months leading up to talking with his mom and dad.
One night, while sitting by the fire,
talking about how he would do this,
I asked him, "How are you gonna tell your dad?"
-Despite my dad leaving at a young age,
he was always there emotionally, always there in a loving way.
He's always told me and my sister
how much he loves us.
That's awesome to hear from your dad,
because a lot of people don't ever hear that.
I knew there was something different about me
at a pretty young age.
It was kind of strange. Like, I had feelings for men
that I didn't have for women.
And so it was very strange growing up in a very, you know,
conservative household in a small town,
having feelings
that you might not necessarily be able to have
or are supposed to have.
The older I got
and the more secure, I guess I became, you know,
just helped me realize that I was different
and I was gay.
I came out to my dad a little bit later.
I had told some friends,
my sister, my mom,
which I felt like would be a little bit easier
than talking to my dad.
You know, there were fears
that I had of rejection, of maybe
he wouldn't want to talk to me anymore.
You know, you always want to think it would be good,
and you are fearful that it'll be bad.
-When Chuck and I and his mom met
and Chuck told us that he had chosen a lifestyle
that was different than what we had grown up with,
or even was taught was wrong and right,
I don't know if it came as a total shock to me.
I was thinking, you know,
"What will people think of me as a dad that I have a gay son?"
Then I thought, "Where did I go wrong?"
which are all silly emotions.
But if I remember right, I said,
"Chuck, you're picking a lifestyle
that is gonna be hard on you
because it's not, you know, widely accepted."
-His response to me was not that way.
It was not what I expected.
He was like, "You know, I love you no matter what,
no matter what you do
or who you are.
You know, there's nothing you can do to disappoint me."
-Years ago, a wise man told me
that you only get one shot in this life.
You only go through life one time,
so let me do all the good I can for my fellow men,
for I will not pass this way again.
Growing up in a church, you're taught things.
You're taught that's not the way of life.
That's a sin to be that way.
My acceptance of Chuck
isn't based on religion.
It's based on love.
Life is too short.
You have to be able to love.
I love a woman. [ Chuckles ]
And it brings me a lot of joy.
Maybe Chuck's mate won't be a woman,
[ Voice breaking ] but he has that ability to love.
-It makes me really sad when I have heard of friends
or families who --
they have not been accepted when they've come out.
It's such a shame that a dad or a mom
or whoever would miss out on an opportunity
to be able to love and hang out with a person
that they loved at one point.
-For me, it's hard to imagine
telling someone that you love
that you don't want to be around them.
You know, I can't imagine living my life
without Chuck in it.
-This experience I've had with my dad
has been awesome
because I know a lot of people can't say that.
And I'm grateful for it, and I don't take it for granted.
-I think you know in your heart
what to do as a parent,
when you're right and when you're wrong.
I think you have to be understanding.
You kind of have to remember
what you went through when you were a child.
So I do love my kids unconditionally,
and I will till my last breath.
If you love your kids
and you love them unconditionally,
you'll accept their paths that they take in life.
If you don't, you're gonna miss out on a lot.
-There are things that I do
that I'm like, "That's totally my dad."
He has taught me integrity and character and kindness.
Always showing me, you know, you always respect others.
You always give them a benefit.
Everyone's just a person.
-Chuck is a patient person.
Chuck would make a very good father.
I can't think of one thing I would want to change
as far as the way that I am as a dad.
You are what you are.
You don't get a second chance to do it,
so you have to just try to do the best as you go.
-How do you show unconditional love
to your kids and to your family?
You see, throughout this series, there have been three things
that I've found are common when it comes to being a better dad.
Number one, you have to be present.
And number two, you have to work hard.
And number three, you have to live a life for others
by having unconditional love, no matter what.
This all sounds easy,
but in the end, it's all really hard work,
and it's really scary.
There's still so much that I have to learn,
but I'm convinced that if we choose to be present
and if we work really hard to live for others
and show unconditional love, no matter what,
we'll become not only better dads
but better people.