Reflections on Father’s Day

Tomorrow will mark 12 weeks as a Dad. But today I get to celebrate being a Dad for the first time. I wanted to share my thoughts around some things that have been swirling around in my head for the last few weeks.

The best parts of being a Dad so far

I was nervous about becoming a Dad. I’ll always remember that moment when Jen told me she had a positive test; all the feelings hit me and one of those was apprehension. “Was I ready?” “Will I be a good Dad?” “Will the baby even like me?”. But these first 12 weeks, aside from all the craziness that has been going on in the world, have been some of the best weeks of our lives.

There have been some hard times:

• Sleepless nights leading to days where you struggle to function — but even this has been manageable; you’ll be surprised how much you can do with less than 3 hours sleep!
• Coronavirus stopping all visitors — I’ve said this in previous posts, but this has been tough not being able to have my family visit to squeeze the little man’s cheeks or have friends hold and hug him
• The Black Lives Matter movement making me reflect on the way the world is today and how we’ve just brought a new human into it. Lots of thoughts about how we can bring him up to be the best version of himself, help society and be a force for change. This is something we’ll keep working through as he grows up, to ensure he is an educated and kind person. Mum and Dad will also continue to educate themselves, as well.

The positives definitely outweigh the negatives, and I can’t go into all of them as we’ll be here all day. But I can sum it up with one main reflection.

I work at a company where we focus on giving people back their time, and ensuring they are able to spend their time with intention. I have seen this manifest, first-hand, in these last 12 weeks. Time stands still when you are spending it with Mason and when he is laughing and smiling — you want that moment in time to last forever.

When you look into his eyes, laugh with him, and play silly games with him, the whole world stops. You hear advice all the time about being present and making sure you really experience each moment. I have felt most present during these moments and I definitely plan to spend my time with intention: with my new little family!

My Dad as my role model

I’m excited about today. I’m excited to spend the day with Mason and I’m also excited to continue to grow as a Dad. I can’t wait to be there for him as he grows up. I have found myself starting to think into the future about when he first goes to school, when he plays his first football match, when I get to take him for his first beer, etc. and I start smiling!

I wonder what type of Dad I’ll be as our lives progress together. I only hope that I can follow in the footsteps of my own Dad. He is definitely my role model and someone whom I look up to and ask for advice whenever I need it. He was the best Dad growing up, he’d always take us to football matches and be there on the sideline, come rain or shine, cheering us on. He’d be the first one to encourage us to try new activities and get involved with seeing friends. He’d be silly with us growing up and always play games. He’d take us to Old Trafford and then, later on, stepped aside to let me and Jamie go together. He’d wind us up at every possibility — one of my personal favorites was when my sister, Jen, would be desperate for the toilet on the way back from a road trip and he’d take a slight detour home, and take many trips around a quiet roundabout, just to rub it in! He taught me to drive, took me for my first beer, and showed me what it was like to be a Dad who cares so deeply about his family that he’d do anything for them. I am who I am today because of my Dad and if I can be half the Dad he is, I would be happy.

Family closeness

That closeness is still apparent today in my family. I remember on a recent FaceTime call with the family, my Mum said:

“I love that we get to spend all this time with you, it wasn’t the case in our day — we never spent that much time with our parents once we’d grown up”

I really hope that this is a trait that we carry on into the newest Bazley family, as I want to spend as many moments in time with Mason as I possibly can.

Final thought

It takes having a child for you to realize all the hard work it takes to bring up a human! So if you’re reading this today, give you parents a call and thank them for everything they did for you!

Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads out there and to those who will be Dads in the not-too-distant future. And for the latter, know that you’re about to embark on the best journey out there and make sure you enjoy the little moments.