Coffee Dharma

Papa Day

Posted on 15. Jun, 2008 by Rob in All, Life, Musings, Older, Parenting

Fourteen years ago I would have laughed at the thought of being a parent.  My life was a cavalcade of haphazard adventures at that time.  I had embarked on a personal journey (physically and metaphysically) that would continue for the next decade.  With dozens of moves and discoveries I found myself farther and farther away from any semblance of responsibility.  I had no intentions of slowing down until I met my wife.  Within a few years we were married and had a son.  While this was a monumental change, little did I know the biggest shock to the system was yet to come.

When our son was about six months old we made the decision that I would stay home with him full time.  We say very little of him due to work schedules and baby sitters.  For the first time in my life I was going to start being domestic.  I have no way to describe the incredible adventure it has been converting from Harleys to Huggies.  I suddenly found myself having to be the role model to a young child.  Who was I to teach this boy how to behave, learn, discover and grow?  I was lucky to have made alive this far in life myself.

I slowly found I had more to offer this child than I had thought.  I discovered my past hurdles had given me a base to build upon.  My trials offered a lesson plan to offer my son.

It is almost three years later now and what an adventure it has been.  We added a whole new challenge of a little girl to the mix a few months ago.  I have quite a few more gray hairs (not counting all the hair that has fallen out), earned more wrinkles and live in a constant state of fatigue.  Most days I hurt and want to run away but yet I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Congratulations to all fathers out there who work hard at being “Dad”, especially the ones who stay at home.  It will age us prematurely, turn us into haggard messes and teach us to love in ways we could never have imagined.

Tags: Emma, Kellen, Life, Musings, Parenting