In 2020, I started a new adventure called fatherhood. Amongst all the craziness of a global pandemic, wonderful and beautiful things are still happening. It’s been almost 5 months since my daughter Clara was born and every day is special, watching her make leaps and discover new things. It’s hard to imagine a world without her in it.
There isn’t much to compare it with besides having to deal with an extreme emotional ride on a daily basis. Extreme pain, as she cries trying to express herself, or extreme happiness as she smiles at you and you know she loves you.
One thing that surprised me was how you suddenly add a premium to your free time. The scarcity of an alone moment forces it. Your free time is now filled with play, diaper changing and acting as the official carrier of the new princess in town urging you to help her move from one room to another.
Every nap becomes a short reprieve to pursue your hobbies and personal entertainment before your are back to parent duty. You become a master scheduler by necessity. My empathy for single parents has grown immensely. I’m so thankful my wife and I have each other to help support one another.
I paint a bleak picture, but in reality there is more joy than anger and I’m so looking forward to getting to know the person she becomes and spending time with the person she already is. Love you Clara! From Dad. :)
