I can remember many days in my life that serve as standouts. The kind of days will carry my most memorable moments. They echo different parts of my life, from my younger years of climbing trees and playing outside until dark, and to the more recent years of vacations with Nadia. Throughout all this reflecting of days past, I find myself coming into a very calming realization.... today, in these days that I live in now, these truly are the best days of my life. Call me sentimental, but becoming a father as I have for Naomi and becoming a husband as I have for Nadia, living in sunshine and living/as well as still pursuing dreams, our little bubble has become filled with nothing but joy and happiness. I feel as though we personify what love is, in our own special little way. These are the days.
Fatherhood is a powerful thing. It's filled with many insecurities that you have no time to prepare for. Will I be a good father? Will I be a good provider? Will I be a good husband? Many questions that challenge the true nature of what a man is supposed to be. I never had a true example of this. I latched on to many male images throughout my life that have served me better than not haven done so at all, but the man I have become, is someone I can be proud of. I choose each and every day to not take for granted what I have. I want to be better the next day, because that in turn means I am being better for Naomi and for Nadia. I still have dreams that I hope to realize, the only difference today from years past is that my motivation is two fold. It's not just about fulfilling dreams in hopes of creating a better life for myself. I am already living a wonderful life. It's now about setting the best possible example that I can for my family, and striving to provide them with the best possible future that I can.
The love of a child has also taught me many things. Most importantly I've learned that there is truly only one thing in my life that is important. It's to be happy and enjoy the love that is my little family. I've come home many times filled with the pressures that my day to day life can challenge me with, sometimes overwhelmed, sometimes discouraged, and many times defeated. But through all these things, nothing is more inspiring and healing than the excitement and love that Naomi shows me when I walk through the door. Nothing is more invigorating than to feel the embrace that she gives me. Nothing is more transcending than to see my wife and daughter just being.
These truly are the days.