“Don’t have kids, dude…”
An encounter with an old friend
About three years into my marriage I ran into a college friend at a conference.
He looked tired, worn out, and dejected.
My friend had been married a year so more than me, and had a couple kids. We chatted about life since we last saw each other. He wasn’t doing well, and told me as such.
My wife remembers him saying their marriage wasn’t going so hot. I don’t remember that specifically, but I do remember one thing he was very adamant about…
“Don’t have kids, dude…”
He said it with a sort of smile, slightly laughing it off. But there was more seriousness than humor in his tone.
I didn’t listen to him.
Two years later we had our first son. Then 20 months later our second son. And three years after that we got a girl.
After 9+ years into the parenting journey I TOTALLY get what he was saying. More accurately, I should say I get what he was feeling.
Being a parent is HARD.
Anyone who tells you something different is either lying, or their child is an anomaly. Maybe an alien… Or they’re rich, have hired help, and don’t really do any actual parenting themselves.
