The Dad's Life

(Here's a cute little number that I found on You Tube.  Cute, although it does have some stereotyped gender roles...like the dad bringing home his check for his wife and his daughters...ummmm, I'm not going to touch that in this post...)

Is there anything better than people-watching?

People, with their infinite variations in behaviors, have never ceased to amaze me. Hence, my chosen field. A few months ago, while sitting and sipping a Starbucks with a friend and my newly-turned teen daughter, we got to do a little people-watching through the big window made perfect for the occasion.

One particular stand out for the day was a young dad, scurrying into the store with what appeared to be a newborn infant. The dad had this little one secured to his body with an infant carrier, one arm draped across the babe for extra support, while another hand held a light blanket to protect the baby from the wind. The baby's feet wiggled and kicked below.

This man was oblivious to the folks around him, even to the stares of the other men whose attention he seemed to catch. Some men even did a double-take when seeing him. These were younger men...and I hope that image sticks with them. I hope that the image remains such that when they become dads, they too feel both compelled and comfortable to wear their babies and venture out alone without back-up the baby's mom.

I hope, too, that by the time my daughter becomes a mom, if that is what she chooses, that a father carrying his newborn infant will barely command the stares from other young men, as it will be commonplace. 

So...thanks, all you dads...who care, who protect, who are involved in your kids' lives. You make a difference. Your involvement is important from day one and it NEVER ends. Not when work is stressful, not when the World Series goes into overtime, not when the golf-league needs you, and not...especially not if your relationship with that beautiful baby's mom ends. Parenting is forever. Praise for dads that get that the job is for a lifetime!

Spin-Doctor Tip:  Whilst many have been given to the false notion that the following is possible, and whilst I have heard some moms say, "My husband will be babysitting the kids" (perish the thought)...a parent cannot babysit his or her own child.  It is called parenting.