For me, 2006 was the year that changed everything. A nine month odyssey of introspection, fear, and discovery that would shake me to my very core. To state that I was mentally and emotionally unprepared for my upcoming new role in life would be an understatement. I was a mess pure and simple. A wobbling bowl of green jello barely held together by skin and bones. Maybe that’s why Bill Cosby, America’s TV Dad, became a spokesperson for Jello products. A tacit nod to all new Dads who’ve gone through this rite of passage. The path that leads to Father’s Day.
Now five full years later as the father of two children, I can report to you that my personal systematic breakdown was justified. Being a Dad has been the most challenging job I’ve ever had. Yet conversely, it has also been the most rewarding. A paradox known as parenting that shapes and defines human beings responsible for raising little people. Life, you see, can be tricky. By all accounts of the Moms and Dads I have been fortunate enough to meet, I’d even label it evolutionary.
Like a child who must learn to crawl before he can walk, so too must Dads learn to hold a baby before they can change a diaper. Then there’s the task of rocking a child to sleep. Followed by how to turn a frown upside down. Not to be undone by messy spoonfuls of peas. As well assisting to balance the comically unstable first steps. Accepting a new normal for sleep. Staying up all night when a temperature elevates. Being the trusty steed to ride around the living room. Picking up a wounded little warrior who’s scraped her knee. Running full speed as an intrepid adventurer peddles his training wheel rocket ship down the path. Watching and giggling through movie nights. Trying not to be moved to tears about Pre-K being over. Looking forward with hope and concern for the days ahead.
And so on this Father’s Day, we at CuteMonster.com honor and salute all fathers who have chosen to stand their ground and be engaged in this wonderfully life changing journey. You are paternal powerhouses, the heroes to the cute, and most importantly, men who each and every day earn the right to be called Dad.
What are some of the changes you experienced when you first became a Dad?
