Sunday, March 16, 2008

Where's the switch? Somebody hit the switch!


After much thought and delay, here is my first blog.  I thought this would be a great way to see how much I've learned while my daughter grows and anyone curious enough can see as well.  I spent a lot of time wondering what it was like to be a father in those nine months.  I thought that as soon as Jaycee was born a switch would flip.  The Dad switch.  I watched men when I was waiting for my bundle of joy to arrive and I saw Dads.  I'm sure they weren't like that until their switch was flipped.  So February 12, 2008 came and so did Jaycee.  What an experience.  I felt different.  I felt proud.  I felt... scared.  When was the switch going to flip?  How was I going to become what my dad was or his dad was?  Besides, the best men I know are all fathers.  How was I going to become one of them?  So here I am five weeks later and I think I figured it out;  A father is a man who loves his child.  He loves his child with everything he has.  A man who puts his needs behind his child's needs.  That is the switch.  Now I understand why the best men I know all have fatherhood in common.  They are selfless, protective and caring;  everything I want to be.  Thank you to all those dads who were teaching me to be a man and a father without even knowing it...