Being Father and Fatherhood
On September 21st 2015, we welcomed our son into the
world (yes, this post is a little bit late :) ..
"Fatherhood” is often considered as a ‘phenomenon’,
something which transcends a Men’s very being to another level. In this
column I want to share with you how fatherhood has changed my life. Although
this is very personal, I believe there are many lessons that anyone can take
away.:
A sense of awe. It was
when I saw my son "Ansh" for the first time that I truly understood
what a miracle life is. To hold this little human being, with his little
fingers and tiny feet, left me in awe of just how truly amazing life is. And
this sense of awe has changed how I view my everyday surroundings, in
particular nature.
Awareness of my own mortality. I remember driving home from the hospital, on my own, a few hours
after he was born. I had so many emotions rushing around inside of me, but one
of the most intense was a sense of my own mortality. I had never felt so alive,
but by the same token I had never felt so vulnerable. I drove home particularly
careful that night, knowing that my life now had a new meaning.
Meaning. I don’t think having a
kid is a prerequisite for living a meaningful life, nor do I want fatherhood to
be the only thing that beings meaning to my existence. But what fatherhood
has done is to help me understand what a wonderful feeling it is to live with
meaning.
Connected to the world. I have
always considered myself to be a bit different, and this has at times left me
feeling unconnected to the world around me. But he has connected me to the
future, and for this reason I now care more than I ever have about the
fate of the humankind and the world we live in. Whether the issue is the
environment or politics, I realize that what we do on this planet today will
affect the future for our sons and daughters, and then their sons and daughters
one day.
A Couple of Photos:
As my Son grew and developed
during the first years of his life, my heart expanded and filled with love like
I've never known before. His smile is enough to brighten a miserable day and
hearing him say ‘pa-pa' made everything right in the world. His unconditional
love and trust made me strive to be a better man..
