Fatherhood

Most of the time, all you need to do is be there.
While you're there, however, you have the ability to fill your children's lives with much more than ephemeral things. Sometimes they just want you to see their latest drawing, or how high they can jump. "Daddy, look" is all they need. The smallest things mean the world to them. Whatever they receive from us can influence them for the rest of their lives. They will pick up more by what they see than anything we could ever tell them.

Want to know what my greatest fear is? It's something that I see far too often. I don't want my kids to spend any part of their life trying to get over a bad childhood. Each day is a challenge to be better. To be tough when needed, to correct and discipline, but all while making sure they know that they're loved and cared for, and that their mistakes will never define them.

To a man, fatherhood is the best thing that can happen to them. It is the greatest and most important role they will ever play. We're not always going to be perfect, and it's important to apologize in those moments that we're not. Lately I've been going back and looking at old videos and pictures from when my kids were toddlers, I was disgusted in myself that sometimes I'd now yell at those same faces that used to disarm me. It's easy to forget sometimes how young they are, how much they don't know. It's also easy to forget that we too had to be taught to use a spoon.

There's a saying that nothing will ever make you as happy, as sad, as exhausted, or as incredibly proud as fatherhood. Sure, fatherhood is tough, as are most things that are worthwhile in this life, but there are few that are more important.

Luckily, we have the best examples we can ask for in God the Father, in Jesus Christ. and in the Holy Spirit. In God we find an example of kindness, love, mercy, slow to anger, and always ready to give. Of course with all the toughness and truth that comes with it. In Jesus we find sacrifice, giving completely of ourselves for the good of another. Finally, in the Holy Spirit we find that comfort that our kids will always need, that spirit and energy that will get us through chasing them around the house, that peace that will put them quietly to bed, before they go back to yours at 3am.