What it means to be a father by Daniel

What it means to be a father by Daniel - July 2024 Scholarship Essay

This year, there have been many unique challenges, and lessons learned. But the hardest one was learning how to be a father. If someone told me two years ago that I would be married and have kids right now, I would have called them crazy. Two years ago, I was still living with my parents, and I had no aspirations to date anyone. Things happened so fast! In a matter of months, I moved to a new city and started living on my own. Then college started. Once I was attending school, I found someone I liked, and we started dating. Soon after, we were married! Several months after being married, my wife was pregnant!

Many questions ensued after discovering this amazing truth. Where were we going to have the birth? What gender was the baby? How were we going to have a baby and continue affording college? What happens if something goes wrong? These were all questions that required much research and wise counsel. In the end, everything turned out fine. But, fatherhood was not what I initially expected.

What does it mean to be a father? This is the most important lesson I have learned this year. A lot of people think that being a father means taking your kid to games, making dad jokes, and working all the time. But I didn’t realize that huge part of being a father has less to do with dad jokes or parenting, and more to do with serving your wife. Because my wife was recovering for a period of weeks after birth, and because our baby constantly needed her, I cooked all of her meals and ran errands for her. I made sure she had everything she needed. I washed her dishes and folded her laundry. I even messaged her muscles that were still sore from labor. A lot of new dads struggle with what it means to be a father. Especially since in the beginning, there is not much we can do because the baby constantly needs mom. But the most profound lesson I have learned this year is the importance loving, serving, and putting your wife first. If new fathers want to know how they can fulfill their role in being a good father, start by loving and serving your wife. Learning this lesson has forever changed my views on fatherhood, and the way that I approach being a father.