What Fatherhood Has Taught Me

So, on Father's Day I spoke in church about what I've learned as a father over the last year. It was a really short talk. Seriously. I have learned a few things, and I imagine they are mostly things that everyone already knows (I'm a slow learner). Here's the list:

• mothers are amazing
• I can sleep through anything
• it's possible for me to miss my family even when we're only across the room from each other
• I now eat table scraps
• having your daughter fall asleep in your arms is the best feeling in the world
• music is excellent at calming babies...and parents
• all of the old cliches are true--it takes a village, they really do grow up fast...
• infants like the bright green and colorful uniforms of a soccer pitch on the television
• nobody likes getting immunization shots
• there are some things only mommies can fix
• high school biology can teach you the probability of a quarter Japanese girl having blue eyes and blond highlighted hair, but it can't prepare you for it when it happens
• I'll never, ever again get the most presents at Christmas
• Disneyland is even more fun with your kids
• children's Benadryl can solve a lot of life's problems
• I'm perfectly okay watching New Year's festivities on east coast time and calling it a night at 10:05pm
• the amount of luggage you need is inversely proportional to your size
• good friends are priceless
• digital cameras are a blessing
• I'm now learning to be okay when my child makes too much noise and too big a mess at restaurants. I'm also learning that I have to tip a lot more when this happens.
• I've learned that there's a special love that a father has for his children, and this love is a less perfect version of the love God has for each of us.

dk