fatherhood: March 2008 Archives

A good dad, walking the beachMoms might be different, but I don't think dads can really know what type of parent they will be .. until actually faced with fatherhood.

I mean, certainly we all aspire to excel at one of life's most important roles .. but until we put hand to task, our preconceptions represent little more than wishful thinking.

A friend told me yesterday, "I always knew you'd be a good dad -- an *excellent* dad -- but you have exceeded even my expectations."

"How did you know?" I interrupted, fishing for more compliments, ".. that I'd be a good dad?" (Cuz I didn't know myself.)

"I just knew," he answered, declining to elaborate.

At the time, I was talking on my cell, walking at the Back Bay. (I have a small, but supportive network of friends I can call to help deal with things.)

The Back Bay is where I usually go after I give the Bug back to his mom, and can't see him for several days. Hiking in nature helps me process the feelings of loss that come from missing him.

There I saw a bobcat .. my first-ever out in the wild. Strikingly beautiful animal. Dark colors. Pointy ears. He did not seem alarmed by crossing paths with a human, passing within 15 feet (5 meters).

A lady following some distance behind said he was one of three offspring born several months ago, and that the mother-bobcat was much lighter in color. I know it sounds corny, but the sighting made the day feel special .. like when I spy dolphins, or a whale.

Sometimes, after I give the Bug back, it feels like my heart is ripped apart .. but this week was different. I felt *good* .. a sense of accomplishment .. satisfied I had done a good job, and content he was happy and developing well.

A Nectar Day in Radland

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Alfred Lord TennysonEver have one of those days where everything seems to be "clicking" for you?

While pulling into the (crowded) lot at the coffee shop this morning, I spied the ideal corner spot. But another car (from the opposite direction) beat me to it. Drat!

I looked around. No other space was even close. So I put the car in reverse. But instead of pulling into the spot, the guy in the SUV backed up, then went forward and drove off.

While passing, he motioned me forward and called out, saying (with a big smile), "Go ahead! You guys are worth it."

Before leaving, I mosied over to his table and thanked him for making my day. "Nice way to start the day," I said.

Sitting across from him was his friend, who related a story where, after pulling into a parking spot at a taco joint yesterday (up in LA), he heard (while talking on his cell) someone pounding on his trunk, saying, "You took my space." We all had a good laugh.

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This page is a archive of entries in the fatherhood category from March 2008.

fatherhood: April 2008 is the next archive.

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