Happy Fathers’ Day to me!Fathers’ Day is always a time of reflection for me. It isn’t just about the special recognition I get from my kids on this day, as much as I marvel at (and delight in) the eagerness and creativity and love that is always a part of that. With or without the celebration, though, it is a day to remember and recognize how blessed I am as a father and husband. This day, their birthdays, and my anniversary are all excellent times to reflect on that.
Clearly I will always remember the excitement of learning that we were expecting our first child. The months of pregnancy brought joy and anticipation and anxiety. And I cannot begin to describe the rush of emotions upon first seeing my oldest. Breathtaking! My love for that little boy was so overwhelming that when we learned that we were going to have another child I actually worried that I could not possibly love that one as much. That fear was unfounded, of course. She didn’t take half a second to wrap me around her finger for good. We now have six; each pregnancy was equally exciting and each birth was equally breathtaking. Each child a unique and wonderful person; each more than I could have hoped for.
Many years ago, a friend at work was at my desk looking at pictures of my children. He studied their faces then looked at me for a moment and remarked, “Your wife must be beautiful!” He doesn’t know the half of it. Thank God they get more than just their beauty from her. They get strength and determination from her – and a touch of sassiness. Any athleticism or coordination they display certainly comes from her. More importantly, though, much of whatever I do right as a father is at least partially attributable to her. I wouldn’t be half the father I am without the loving support of such a wonderful and patient wife. I have come to understand that my love for her and my love for them – and my responsibilities to her and my responsibilities to them – are inseparable.
I recognize how blessed I am by the sweet love I receive from my children. I know I can rely on that no matter what else happens, no matter what goes wrong, and no matter how spectacularly I fail. When I get frustrated at myself or at the world, when I get anxious about the future or the past, or when I let life’s business distract me from what’s important, one or more of them will bring me back around and set me straight.
I am blessed in the things fatherhood has taught me. I can’t remember what things I thought were important, what things I marveled at, or what things I worried about before being a father. I’m not even sure what I correctly understood about myself before that. Being a dad has taught me more about life than I ever would have figured out on my own. It has increased my compassion. It has made me less selfish. It has certainly changed my priorities. Most importantly, though, it is the love I feel for them that helps me begin to comprehend the abiding, unconditional love our heavenly Father has for us. Maybe that's the point.
Happy Fathers’ Day to me, indeed!
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