Did you see the eclipse on Friday? Was it everything it was hyped up to be?
A once in a lifetime opportunity to see a remarkable event!!
Time for dads to get out the inner scientist, make pin hole projectors and explanations of eclipses using tennis balls and ping-pong balls?
School projects…explanations…anticipation.
But the reality…
An overcast and cloudy darkening of the skies for 25 minutes with lowering of temperature and disappointment, kids at school and you stuck at work.
Well for some, the experience of the natural phenomena was exquisite to watch…..others were left wanting feeling let down and cheated…nature taking a way an opportunity.
Fatherhood can be the same …. With many great milestones that are hyped up to be special. Be those a first word, first step, your child’s first day at school, first birthday or a first trip to see Father Christmas. As a father it might be the first football match, the first driving lesson or the first time you take them to a special place to see an event that is special to you.
Whilst we treasure these moments some are a disappointment, some live up to the hype and others we just don’t get to see. You are at work when your child says their first word or just out of the room when then take the first step, whilst we miss the first time they happen it is the first time we witnessed them that is special to us.
The first time you see your child walk, the first time you hear the child speak a word make a lasting impression even though they may not be the first for the child.
But as we grow older other things happen in life such as becoming a non-resident parent. As such the firsts become more about what we witness rather than what we are present for.
As fathers we have to realise that we must enjoy what we have, what happens with our children not the things we want for or what we wish for.
An eclipse is like many things in life that people say that will only happens once in a lifetime, they are rare, but they will be back in 15 to 20 years’ time. There will be another which we can look to enjoy in a different way. If you wonder what could have been, if we spend too much looking at what might have happened then we will miss out on the beauty of what is happening now.
So the eclipse could have been better for many, the weather was not great but the time spent with your children discussing it, taking time to be with them that was great. Maybe you it didn’t happen for you, does it really matter? I look at my children and think that they know I love them and it isn’t about special events it’s about the everyday things.
Till Next week
Marc
The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the blogger and do not necessarily represent the views of Dad.info
