A Dad's Experience: Learning to appreciate the simple things again.

in Motherhood2 years ago

Intro:

Hello everyone!
This is my first post onto the Motherhood community.
I wanted to post before, but I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. My wife posted earlier today, and well I want to follow up and make a post here myself!

About myself:
I'm the dad of an almost 3 year old girl, and Husband to @doobeedoodle. ❤️
I really like technology as a whole, and I'm hungry for pretty much any valid form of science. 😆
I took up bouldering seriously last year, and started having an interest hiking and mountaineering more.
Part because I like Adventure with my Family, part I want to be fit, part I enjoy finding obscure or challenging climbs.
My favorite thing in life is being married to my Wife, and secondly being a Dad haha!

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My kid eating a hamburger on a rock last summer. Looks like a relaxing meal.

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Appreciation for the simple things...

By simple, I don't exactly mean insignificant.
I'm talking about walking to the top of a steep hill, eating a warm sandwich, sitting by a fire, hugging your loved ones etc...
I love exploring. The world, my mind, the internet, anything I suppose. So I've always considered myself perhaps more aware of things like how beautiful and complex a slab of moss on a rock is.
That's different though, I realize I actually more enjoyed nature itself, and the complexity of the world around me.

When I get to the top of a hill that made me a little tired, I would think, "I'm finally at the top," or "I'm glad that's over." Along those lines.

What would my kid say? Probably something like: "We did it, Dad!" or sing a cheerful song about the struggle to the top.

Who can say exactly what causes such negativity to be almost natural for Adults. Perhaps the years of wear from life, the stress of a capitalistic world, the chemistry of the brain... I'm sure it is different for everyone. Something for another blog.
For my kid the novelty runs strong in everything she does, and she doesn't have these stressful thoughts blocking her appreciation for life.

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Howling like a wolf to celebrate reaching the peak.

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Remembering how I felt as a young child.

Watching her experience the world, grow, discover, play and rest; it reminds me of the simpler times in my young days as a small child. I forgot how much I still like the grass, or eating some food on a bench. When I am able to give her these experiences, or a tasty treat, or a warm hug, I am happy. I'm honored to be able to provide what I can to a bright, new life like hers.

I have a hard time not joining in on the excitement when we show up to a park. She's so cute, and so happy, and she's my kid! Sometimes I'm thinking negative things all day, and a moment like that helps me shake it off and just enjoy the day for what it is and the time I have.

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As far as she is concerned, this was the first reported sighting of corn in human history.

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A fun camping trip from earlier this summer. She's showing off how she can balance on that log.

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My experience so far? I'm loving it.

Having this small family, my Wife and Daughter and I, is wonderful and makes me appreciate everything even more. I feel as if being a dad has caused me to grow into a better person.
Don't get me wrong, there are struggles with having a kid haha! But overall it's hard for me to say anything bad at all. I'm excited for the years to come, and I hope I can continue giving her a happy and educated life!

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Sitting in front of a snowy cave we stopped at the other day.

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A trip by the lake last summer, she was proud of this dress.

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I hope this wasn't too overly positive or a bit of a ramble haha! I wanted to start with something fun and positive for my first post here. Also something that really communicated how I felt about being a dad in this way. It's something I'm thankful for. I hope you enjoyed these pictures from our adventures this last year. All of these are pictures that I think capture some of what I am talking about in this post, and pictures of times I remember fondly as well.

Do you have any positive personal growth or consistent experiences with parenthood?

To all my fellow parents or guardians, I wish you and your family the best! Have a great week and thanks for reading. ❤️

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"As far as she is concerned, this was the first reported sighting of corn in human history." Haha. Loved that!
Parenting can be tough, but the rewards are just so worth it. Great post. I enjoyed reading it :)