Being Dad

While travelling this week, I was fortunate enough to meet a wonderful chap in Hamilton. Some will believe this to be an oxymoron, but he was an interesting accountant. He is heading off to Italy to see his daughter, who is due very soon with the first grandchild in the family, and we talked about what it is like being Dad.

Most of my friends are Dads, and I believe there is something that changes in your life when you become a Dad. One of my friends, before he became a Dad, said: "Kids don't change your life." Now he has three kids, and without a doubt, his life is significantly different than what it would be like without them.

So what really changes?

Well, there are definitely the horror stories that everyone talks about, such as the pooey nappies, the sleepless nights, the continual worry in case something bad happens, the realisation that you're now responsible for someone else for the rest of your life. But the other side is the smiles, the hugs, the giggles and laughs, the sharing, the admiration, the fun, and somehow for me, these are all the things I remember. That's the real change in your life, and what Being Dad is all about.

Stuart