Alright, enough of these intellectual and spiritual posts for a week. This week I want to share with you what I love about being a father (so far). Who knows, perhaps even one or two of these favorites may surprise you. They are in no particular order of significance:
1. Clear Eyes--I love looking into my daughters eyes and seeing nothing but innocence. I know, I know, she won't always remain this way but I'd never quite noticed how clean and pure a baby's eyes look. I would personally attribute that to a clear conscience but I'm not the expert. Anyway, I'm enjoying seeing those eyes look at me with clarity.
2. Rocking, rocking, rocking--Who would have ever thought I would have the magic touch when it comes to settling GJ? I don't think even I would have thought I would be this good with her. I'd better cross my fingers now because saying something like this may turn all of this on its' head. Until it does anyway, I love rocking my daughter to sleep. When she falls asleep in my arms I consider it a privilege she has given to me. She trusts me and I don't want to ever do anything to damage that trust.
3. Development--I love being a Dad because I get a front-row seat to how a little-human develops and begins to grow (outside of the womb that is). Reviewing pictures from when GJ was first born I'm astounded at her growth. She's jabbering now, and is oh so close to crawling. She can now focus on items in front of her face and will reach both arms in a scissor motion towards the item she would like to reach for (coming from barely being able to grasp onto things this is definitely development). She is extending her reach which is also a sign her eyesight is developing as she previously could only see 10-15 feet from her eyes, and is also a sign her field-of vision is looking beyond her previously small sphere.
4. Heavenly perspective--other parents' will understand this, and perhaps even those who are not parents will, to an extent. As a father, I now have a small inkling of what God thinks about me. I would never have been able to see through that lens if it weren't for GJ, and I'm appreciative of the change of perspective.
5. Diapers--Yes, here is the one you're probably surprised about. I'll say it so you can have the satisfaction of reading it in print, I love being a Dad because I get to change diapers. I hope your satisfaction meter has spiked. Diapers? Yes. Why? Because it is yet another opportunity to serve my daughter. I came to a realization a couple of years ago regarding diapers when I was baby-sitting my nephew. He was so helpless and cute when I changed his diaper, I couldn't help but love him as a result. My whole perspective on diaper-changing was re-calibrated when I viewed it through that perspective, and the same is now true of GJ. Is it always fun or enjoyable? No quite honestly it's not. But every-time I'm tempted to be grumpy, all I have to do is look at the precious life before me and the grumpiness all melts away.
So, now it's your turn. What do you love about being a Dad? Mom? Uncle? Aunt? Grandparent?
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