We entered the hospital to have my son at 9 pm. My son finally entered the world at 1:30 pm the next afternoon. He was standing the whole time, right next to me holding my hand.
He’s helped me clean puke and worse from bed sheets at 3 am many a night. He’s changed diapers, held the kids up while they were sick, and stayed up nights when I gave up. He took care of the kids when they had the flu and I had flu+bronchitis. When they get tired, he doesn’t hesitate to pick them up or hold them up over his head. When we were traveling to India and my daughter wouldn’t leave my arms for a second for the two days of travel, he supported us both by holding my cramped arm up from below so that the pressure would be off of it and I would have some relief.
That’s the kind of man and father he is.
These are just a few of the incidents of what a wonderfully caring man he is. He is happy for us when we are at our best and loves us more during our worst times. With the temper of a saint, the kids know that if he gets angry, that means they have done something really disappointing. He pampers them silly but never lets them disrespect anyone or anything, always showing them the right path to do things.
I’m sure it is hard for him working from home–with colleagues who are 6 and 3, who knock on the door at the oddest times, and who demand he come out and play while he’s in a meeting! Yet, never once does he let it get to him. Every chance he gets, he’s out playing with them, teaching them, being the best dad any kid could ever have. The kids are blessed that they got to spend so much of their childhood with him.
A father is a role model in more than one way–not only to sons of how to live their life righteously but to daughters of what kind of man they should allow into their life. Thus the famous quote:
“The most important thing a man can do for his children is to love their mother.”
This has never been truer than in my life. Not only is Shubham loving towards me, but his respect and encouragement of me, my writing, and my venture shows our children day in and day out how important it is to live a life truly being there for someone you love.
When I start to lose my cool (which is often) on things being messy after play or colossal spills, he makes me see through laughter that none of it really matters in the bigger scheme of things.
He balances my parenting by presenting the other side of the coin. What I lack in “fun,” he completes with laughter. When I fail to cook, he ensures there is food. If I need to go out, I can trust in totality that the kids will have the best time while keeping to their usual routine. He holds our hands while we stumble through any part of life helping us get through.
He is an amazing dad because he makes me a better mom!