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Hey Dad,

Ever notice that being a dad and birthing a child are a lot alike? I was reminded of how this is so on my birthday this past week. The plan was to leave mid-morning, eat at a favorite restaurant, and do some shopping. It sounded like the perfect way to spend a beautiful autumn birthday.

And it was perfect … in my head. Then we pulled out of the driveway, and reality struck. Perhaps it was the combination of tiredness, crowded stores, and six energetic kids, but the stress began to build. "Don't touch that!" I snapped. "Abe get off the floor … don't touch your sister again … where's Ike? … Don't bang on the glass. It makes the Chinchillas nervous … Where's Ike? … I don't know why Mom's taking so long … Yes, we'll be going home soon, REAL SOON … Where's Ike?"

By the end of the afternoon, I was beat. The happy birthday boy had been replaced by a grizzly bear. I was silent on the way home, too tired to move my mouth.

Now here's where the childbirth thing comes in.

After everyone was tucked in, I plopped on the bed next to my wife.

I felt exhausted and emotionally spent. But then a familiar, warm, fuzzy feeling climbed up on the bed and burrowed itself into my heart, and I was glad to be a dad.

"I had so much fun today!" I said cheerfully as my wife looked at me perplexed.

It's like my wife's delivery experiences. For 9 months, she excitedly anticipates the birth of a child. During delivery, she vows never to do it again. And then, ten seconds after the baby is born, she radiates with happiness, forgetting how hard it was, knowing it was worth it.

That's fathering! Sure it's hard, but the hardness is quickly forgotten, leaving only wonderful memories and feelings of love and gratitude in its place.

So, if you've been putting off that family vacation because it sounds too hard with the kids, or you dread the holidays because it's exhausting, or you've put off a dozen other things that the children have been begging you to do because you know it will be difficult—put it off no longer.

Believe me, Dad, it will be hard … but it will be worth it! It always is, and you, like a mother who has just given birth, will bask in the joy and privilege of spending time with your family. Ahhh … God is good to dads.

You 'da dad!

© Copyright 2005 Todd Wilson. Used by permission.

P.S.: Don't put off ordering your You 'da Dad page-a-day calendar. To order your calendar(s), go to http://www.familymanweb.com/dailycalendar.htm

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