Happiness from a dad’s point of view!
The life of a father is a great adventure in which we must acknowledge and prioritize happiness. If every moment is an opportunity to be happy and share that happiness, it is obvious and clear that being a dad is a privilege and a blessing. Our children were born pure. As a dad, I believe at every moment that I must protect that purity and make sure that the sole presence of my children contributes to making our world a better place.
Seeing this reality positively
Being a separated dad is a special experience that can become a great adventure in my opinion. Each event in life can be happy or sad; can become a success or a failure… It is our call because we’re not victims of our own life, we shape it the way we want it to be. So, even a separation can become a positive event. In my case, it is my separation that made me a Dad with a capital “D”. It forced me to define my role as a dad and to “exist” more intensely in the eyes of my children.
What does it mean to exist as a separated dad? To me, existing as a dad means understanding and assuming that we play a main role in the life and development of our children. It’s also knowing that children must lead children’s lives and don’t have to be exposed to our grown-up problems. It’s also remembering that, for them, we are not a separated family or a failed marriage but we chose different paths and it’s okay.
How does that apply on a daily basis?
In my case, it’s very simple, because I know that the two persons I love the most are my children: Thomas and Christophe. So, in every decision that I must make and everything that I must do, I take “our” happiness into consideration. It makes things much easier and it allows me to be consistent with who I am.
Today, I can say that I am proud of my relationship with my boys. Beyond my responsibilities as a father, I enjoy living a dad’s life!
In my opinion, being an awesome dad is:
- Thinking that nothing is better than being right here, right now, just the three of us;
- Turning any event into a special adventure;
- Being happy when their mom has a business dinner because it means that we’ll spend an extra evening with the kids;
- Picking up my guitar and waking the boys up with improvised and silly songs;
- Cooking colourful meals, adding flavour, making it much better than anything we could buy elsewhere;
- Adjusting my schedule to wait for them after school (and getting hugged);
- Setting a custody (in agreement with the mom) that allows us to see each other almost all the time (Who wants alternating weeks anyway?);
- Trying to identify their interests, their talents and creating an environment that will fulfill them;
- Thinking outside the box and building a life that suits us according to our needs and our happiness.
A dad’s paradise is here and now, lying on the couch! A dad’s paradise is also when the boys say “I love you daddy” without being asked to. A single dad’s paradise is being chilled with the mom and thinking that we made the right decision…
Yes, it can happen! We are living proof!
