Your Dream Is Your Baby

DREAM: something you have wanted very much to do, be, or have for a long time; a strongly desired goal or purpose

On November 16, 1997 at 3:20 p.m. I began a new chapter in life. I met my first child, a son. With his first breath I got a new identity... Dad.

About a minute later I was asked the question I wanted to hear all my life:   Do you want to hold him..?

I can't speak for any other first time father, but I couldn't wait to get my hands on him, to talk with him.  And when he was placed in my arms for the very first time I didn't want to let him go.

It wasn't love at first sight because I loved him before I ever saw him...and before he ever saw me.  As I spoke with him I didn't see anyone, didn't hear anyone, didn't notice or care that anyone else was there...except his mother, of course.

All that mattered to me was that I had a precious bundle in my arms and I wanted to do anything I could for him: feed him, nurture him, encourage him, help him grow strong, healthy, and wise.

Of course when you are blessed with your own little ones there is never a shortage of opinions from well wishers concerning what should be done to raise your kids the best way possible. Some advice is good, other advice, not so much....but at the end of the day it's your call, your decision. What you say and do with your child is what matters most.

Yes, there will be missteps, mistakes, and little messes along the way; we all know life isn't a bed of roses, a bowl of cherries, or 24-7 sunshine and rainbows. But you don't give up on your baby when raising him gets challenging from time to time. You roll with the punches and find a way to make things work for you and your child.  Why?

Because your child is part of you, part of your identity. Your little one is as connected to you as your own name.  As they grow they become nearer and dearer to your life than the first day you saw them.

You'd never consider letting someone just walk into your life and take your precious bundle of joy away from you. The very idea of a stranger walking into the hospital nursery to steal your newborn child would understandably send you flying into a fit of rage.

Yet there is something in your life that is just as important, just as precious, just as valuable to you as your own child, your flesh and blood, your bundle of joy...that you let people steal from under your very nose every single day.  

And you want to know the worst part? You hardly notice at all, much less care that anyone does it to you because you don't think it's all that important anyway.

I'll tell you what that something is next time, and why it matters, but I already gave you a clue before you started reading.  Here's another one for you to ponder as you wait for the conclusion:

That's all for now, gotta run.  Until we meet again, remember:

Keep it simple...  See ya!