Fatherhood comes at you like a Miley Cyrus Wrecking Ball (minus the odd irrelevant naked woman riding it). It changes you. As more grey hair comes in, I’m starting to realize that sometimes it takes a wrecking ball to make you realize what really matters. Especially as a man.
Men are judged on things like strength, tolerance, income, and many other things. That’s not to say that women aren’t… but this isn’t about women. As I understand it groups of women can be the worst circles to be in for other women. But as men we seem to be perceived fundamentally and naturally as animals. That’s just the way it seems to be.
Here’s what I’ve learned.
- It is actually possible to shed Happy tears.
- Unconditional love exists.
- It takes just as much strength to punch an asshole who cut you off in traffic in the face as it does to NOT punch the asshole who cut you off in traffic in the face.
- Women appreciate a man who is transparent with his feelings.
- Children appreciate time over anything.
- You don’t know what it is to be a protector until you have a child.
- Hard decisions are things like choosing to enroll your child in a sport over spending that money on a new pair of shoes every month.
- Bless your parents, but you learned everything not to do from them.
- Bless your parents, but you learned everything TO DO from them.
- Your child will mimic everything you do as soon as they are able to. This includes anything and everything from profanity to your actions. You realize that throwing your middle finger up might have been cool when you were a 20 something year old punk driving around in a 1989 honda civic, but as a parent you definitely never want to see your child doing the same thing.