On being a father

The first reaction to the news was of course shock and disbelief. Then there were a couple days where I did little else but smile and giggle. This was a short duration. Presently I reside in a feeling of confidence that I feel should last a long time.

There is a scene in Castaway where Tom Hanks' character screams with delirious pride after managing to start his first fire on a stranded island. That extreme amount of joy, that precise unconscious pride manifest, this is about how I feel now. I feel sure that whatever our child ends up being, I will feel a great pride in helping to create it.

This does not take away from my thanks for my parents' pride of myself, rather it enriches it. I better understand something about their ability to forgive. Their ability to remain patient. I see this in other parents that I know as well.

And I feel this way already? Who knows what the coming months will bring?