How I am discovering what Fatherhood means this Father's Day

Welcoming a child to the world affected me in ways I did not expect. It has helped me discover what fatherhood means. I did not have the opportunity to grow up with a father, so I am learning everything I have learned about a father-child relationship from watching my husband and our son. There is a lot that is written about a Mother's love and little about the beauty of a Father's love.  
 
Happy Father's Day to all the Fathers and Caregivers taking the responsibility of raising the next generation very seriously !!!!
 
In this blog post, I will share some moments when I learned about a father's love from watching the relationship between my husband and our son.
 
#1: The birth of our son
If you speak to any parent that has witnessed the birth of a child, they would probably share the powerful emotions they had during the experience. We had our baby in October 2020 at the height of the Pandemic. My husband could not attend any of the doctor's appointments throughout my pregnancy, so the day of my c-section was the first time he was in that environment. As we prepared to meet our baby, I could see him feel all his emotions at once. When our son was born, his father went into full caring and protection mode. He wanted to ensure our little human was safe and had everything he needed.
 
#2: Our son's ongoing wellbeing 
When we hear about a child's wellbeing, it is often seen as a mother's responsibility. Growing up, I had mostly seen the moms cater to the physical needs of their children, and it was surprising to me. I have seen my husband be a father who cares deeply about our son's physical and emotional health. From birth, we were advised to give our son a massage multiple times a day, and my husband did them for multiple months without fail. Every single day, my husband cuts up our son's fruit and presses his orange juice.
 
#3: The lessons he teaches our son
Seeing my husband impart knowledge to our son and teach him things that I cannot teach him is beautiful. I silently watch their interactions and the pride my husband feels when our son remembers something he taught him. It takes a lot of time investment and love to teach children new skills.
 
#4: Hearing my husband talk about our son
The love with which my husband speaks about our son is immense. Sometimes even when we experience the same things, hearing my husband tell the stories fills my heart with renewed joy. He celebrates every milestone and exciting experience.
 
#5: The deep and lasting bond between a Father & Child
The moment when I see my husband melt because my son gave him a hug, looked for him, and smiled when he saw him, reminds me of the powerful bond they have. Every single morning, one of the first things our son does is look for his daddy. It warms my heart to see their love.
 
Final Thoughts
One lesson that I am learning is that you can experience whole and great relationships by watching others. People often asked me if I missed having a father. The answer is not really because you can't miss what you never had. However, what I can now say is that I have more of an appreciation for great fathers and caregivers.