Nothing lasts forever, and hear me out, that is a good thing. It gives everything value. Each little moment is precious. There will be a last time that you wake up in the middle of the night to sooth your crying baby. There will be that final time that you set your child down and then never pick them up again. There will be one last “why?” Appreciate it all, as it’s all that we got. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. Memento mori. Carpe diem. YOLO. Ichi-go, ichi-e. So on, and so on.
Category: Philosophy
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Take a Breath
It’s quite difficult to maintain composure in the face of some of the things your children decide to do. But, it is important to try for your sake and for theirs. My three year old decided to spray me in the face with the hose yesterday. Point blank range. Kill shot. Just as I started to react negatively I caught myself, wiped the water off my face, and took a breath. That breath allowed me to compose myself and realize that he really didn’t mean to spray me in the face and was just figuring out how the hose works and how to aim it. Victor Frankl (Man’s Search for Meaning) says, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response.” Now, this practice doesn’t come easy, and I am no pro, but I am working on it. My anger shifted to amusement and I laughed it off. I watched his expression shift from fear of doing a bad thing, to happy he wasn’t in trouble. He apologized and went on with his business of spraying the chalk off the driveway and watering everything within range. Everybody won. Especially the grass and trees.
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Fatherhood
As much as I read and thought I knew, nothing prepared me for the role of fatherhood. People told me, “everything is going to change,” but I didn’t realize EVERYTHING was going to change. A weekend project became a two-month project; sleep became, well, what’s sleep again?; free time – bye, bye; anxiety and fear – up; worth it? – hell yes. Holding that little boy or girl on your chest; the first smile; the way they say, “Da-Da”; the most contagious deep laughter you’ve ever heard; the pitter-patter of their little footsteps; the way they look into your eyes. It is love in it’s purest form and I wouldn’t trade it for all of my previous hopes and dreams. These kids give me so much, and it’s my responsibility to give them everything I can for a good life. I’m not talking about material things. I’m talking about life lessons, important skills, and a solid mindset that will serve them well through all the ups and downs that life provides.
Reflections of a Dad 