Due Date: T-minus 14 days…

Officially 14 days away from the due date of our first child. My wife and I are about to be blessed with a beautiful baby boy. In recent moments of reflection, my mind has wandered into places of amazement, responsibility, excitement, and wonder. Lots of family, friends, and mentors have all shared with me the joys of being a father (also the upcoming sleep deprivation) but was has been resonating with me the most is that every interaction that I have with this little man will play a role in shaping who he is. We all influence the people around us on a daily basis and I take great consideration for how my actions impact others but this is a whole new ball game.

How will my love, energy, attitude, demeanor, level of patience, attention, and compassion shape his beliefs and expectations about the world? What sequence of rituals can I put in place to ensure that even in the most fleeting moments I own my responsibility as his father? As equally important, the way I treat his mother will without a doubt be perceived and embedded into his treatment towards the women in his life later on. May I also be gracious to all of those around, even those people who seem to be overflowing with negativity, pessimism, excuses, and hate.

I’ve been told that having a child will change my life. I am becoming increasingly aware of this phenomenon and he’s not even out of the womb. My hope is that in raising my own standard of self-awareness for how I operate in his presence, my life will not be the only one that is changed.