Being a dad means everything to Al Roker.
The veteran weatherman's voice quavered on the 3rd hour of TODAY Friday as the father of three delivered a message straight from the heart about parenting to NBC reporters Gadi Schwartz and Kimi Tobin, who are expecting their first child.
"I will tell you both that it's the greatest thing that will ever happen to you, and that you will know that your heart beats outside your body to somebody else's," Al said. "And no matter what happens, these are always your children."
Schwartz, who is a correspondent for NBC News, and Tobin, who is a reporter at NBC Los Angeles affiliate KNBC, shared on TODAY what it's been like expecting their first child in the middle of a pandemic.
They have had to experience situations like Tobin undergoing her ultrasound tests without Schwartz present because of coronavirus protocols.
"I mean, FaceTime is FaceTime," Schwartz said. "It's not like the real thing, you know? And then all of a sudden, the (ultrasound) image flashes on, and that was like the moment that everything just changed. And I would have done anything to have been inside that room with her and holding her hand because it's a miracle what you see on that screen."
Al offered his heartfelt advice after Schwartz asked him and 3rd hour of TODAY co-host Craig Melvin if they had any words of wisdom about what to expect, especially since they also are both married to television journalists.
"It doesn't matter what you do, whatever your job is, your job is just making sure that each of these children, whoever they are, can be whoever they want to be," Al said.
Al is the father of two daughters, Courtney, 33, and Leila, 22, and a son, Nick, 18. Al has been particularly grateful for the time he was able to spend with Nick, who has special needs, during quarantine in the pandemic.
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He and wife Deborah Roberts also celebrated Nick turning 18 this past summer.
"The nicest part about this experience has been spending more time with Nick, and watching him grow and learn,” Al said in the October/November 2020 edition of AARP The Magazine. "You want the best for your kids, and this period has been hard because all our normal routines have just been turned upside down. But Nick is adaptable."