Being a Dad: A Hard Realization P1

Hello and Welcome Home!

Its been a while since I last posted an update. Truthfully, I haven't really had a lot of motivation to write. Sometimes Being a Dad just isn't easy. There is so much stuff we have to take care of day in and day out. We really never have time for ourselves.

Recently, a work associate reminded me that I had not been taking care of myself. Instead of taking the time I needed to decompress and just be. I know, your thinking, what? We don't have time to take care of ourselves. There is just too much else going on.  

It's hard and I forget more than not. My motivation is always how can I make things better for this person, or that person. How can I help my wife feel appreciated more, am I really doing enough? What about my kids, I have so much to strive to teach them. Where is there time for us dads to take care of ourselves?

Being a dad doesn't give me the luxury of taking care of myself. Well, this may seem as though it's true, but it's really not. If we aren't taking care of ourselves first, we aren't taking anything in. All we are doing is giving, giving, giving.  Living our lives is not a one-way street and we can not go through it without taking a few detours along the way. 

Sometimes we need those detours to fill up our tank, so to write. Sometimes we need those refreshing roadside scenic views to remind ourselves of the beauty around us along the way. This has actually been a hard realization for me. I desire more than anything to do what's right by my family and what I'm learning is that this means taking care of me too. 

How do I do that, well here is a few things, but I have another post in mind for this. Being a dad is a lot of things, and those things include things like this.

Make sure you have time for yourself

Be willing to let go of something that needs to be done for now

Spend time developing a hobby all your own

Engage with other Dads

These four things will offer a place to begin, its where I started. I do still have a long way to go, but don't we all. Being a dad doesn't have to be, give, give, give, and nor should it be. The opportunity is there, let's embrace it together.

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Eph 2:10 ESV

Living by Faith, with our Family,

M.E.