This time a year ago, I wasn’t just just getting acquainted with my newborn son. I was also starting to get acquainted with a new version of myself. Dad mode.
My transition to being a dad will always be intertwined with me entering my thirties, and the dramatic way a pandemic reset our world. None of the dust has settled. But all these things have certainly made me be more intentional about what’s really important.
I hope I’ve grown in the direction of Love. I think I have. But I know it hasn’t always looked like the sweet sentimental version of Love. Especially this year, it’s often been the fiercely protective side of Love. The kind that doesn’t humor toxic behaviors or ideas. The kind that goes to bat for the vulnerable.
The stakes are higher, but at the same time, the simple moments are also elevated. I’ve gotten more joy from reading the same picture books over and over, from bath times, and from piggyback rides in the park than ever makes sense.
A Year in Dad Mode
