Fatherhood


These stories show what fatherhood is all about. Share you own story today!


Savor the Teachable Moments

I recently had an inspiring parenting moment with my 3 year old daughter. It was late and I was tired after a long day. I made a conscious decision to get down on the floor with her and play, even though I really wanted to be distracted by the 10 other things on my to-do list. While Lucy and I were playing with one of her favorite toys, she became frustrated about something and walked out of the room. « Continue reading »

While Like A Giant, Proud And Happy

Tonight I am up late… remembering.  I love the power of memory as it intertwines with emotion to form a temporary reality.  In quiet solitude, this gift of memory allows me to sit for awhile with my mother who passed away many years ago.  It gives me glimpses into moments I will forever cherish and allows me to relive past experiences that define the meanings of my life.  Tonight an open window in my mind has taken me back to a very special place where I learned a new meaning to the word “love”… « Continue reading »

Fireworks and Memories

She is sitting on my lap as we gaze into the night sky.  This may be the last year she will be willing to do that.  She’s growing up so fast and pretty soon snuggling with Daddy will be embarrassing rather than comforting.  She lays her head against my chest and I smile.  Above us, cascading explosions of light and color brighten the darkness.  I glance down at her wonder filled face.  She doesn’t notice me looking at her so I take a moment to drink in her innocent beauty.  She is my little girl, my grown up baby.  With every flash in the sky, pictures fill my mind of different times when I have looked at this precious face… « Continue reading »

What Makes a Great Mother or Father? The Little Things

When I was in my twenties, my gaze was always focused on the big things—finding the “perfect” partner, the “to-die-for” job, the “huge” book deal, or getting into the “best” graduate school. Little things didn’t matter much; they were unnecessary distractions that I treated as rounding errors. I either ignored them or focused on what came before or after. Looking back, I can see that how deeply I was affected by films and operas. I was always waiting for the sweeping climax that would bring resolution, on a grand scale, to my life. I was young and eager to fit together the largest pieces of the puzzle of life, foolishly believing that the remaining bits didn’t matter. « Continue reading »

Childhood Doesn’t Wait

“When I was around thirteen and my brother ten, Father had promised to take us to the circus. But at lunchtime there was a phone call; some urgent business required his attention downtown. We braced ourselves for disappointment. Then we heard him say [into the phone], ‘No, I won’t be down. It’ll have to wait.’

“When he came back to the table, Mother smiled. ‘The circus keeps coming back, you know,’”

“‘I know,’ said Father. ‘But childhood doesn’t.”

-Arthur Gordon

Empty Yesterdays

My daughter loves to watch musicals.  It is one of our favorite things to do as a family.  Even as young as 5, she was captivated by every musical she watched (expect for Footloose for some reason).  The other night, we got blankies and piled on our bed to watch The Music Man.  I was struck by a quote from the show. « Continue reading »

Letting Go

Little shoes, little clothes and a huge Mickey Mouse backpack. She is ready to go to school. We get in the car and already I feel a little sad because she will not be with me today. I won’t hear her little laugh and see that priceless smile. I won’t have any owies to fix or hugs to give. I won’t have my little girl sitting on my lap listening to a story or two. We won’t be snuggling in front of a TV show or having a little snack together. « Continue reading »

I Have Found Myself, I Am A Dad!

I am standing in a hot, smelly gymnasium.  I can feel the sweat trickling down my back.  My right arm is aching from holding up the video camera.  My back hurts from hunching over so that I don’t block someone else’s view.  And yet here I am with a big smile on my face… as happy as ever because tonight I am watching my daughter perform in the play she has been working on for the last few months. « Continue reading »

Proud Father of a Tomboy

I work from home and consequently get to spend a lot of time with my daughter.  I am not sure if I can take total credit for her Tomboyishness but I hope that this at least suggests that I have a good relationship with her.  « Continue reading »

Welcome to Holland

I am the mother of an Autistic child. He is four years old and after a VERY rough start, including almost losing him at birth, and 3 weeks in the NICU, we are finally starting to understand him. « Continue reading »