I thought the prospect of being a parent was nerve wracking, until I found out it was a girl.
After my wife and I found out that we are expecting a girl, I felt excited and nervous and all kinds of emotions all together. Don’t get me wrong, this is what I have dreamt of all my life and it has come true but I can’t help but be a little scared.
Our parents congratulated us with hugs and kisses and everybody told us that they can’t wait to buy cute little dresses and play dress up with our little doll and all the while I am sitting and contemplating about the future and what it holds. Not that I was a downer or dampening the mood, I just became nostalgic as if I have already lived through all these memories with my baby girl and they haven’t even begun yet.
I thought of the lessons I want to learn her because there are so many especially when it comes to the opposite sex. See the problem is I was once that boy that like all teenagers was a walking hormone and that scares me, when do you know what you taught is right or wrong? It’s slightly terrifying to think that our daughter will be a piece of clay that we will mould to be strong, smart and independent and above all have a moral compass to guide her through this terrible world.
With all the stories, internationally and locally about men abusing their power to sexually abuse women I came to the conclusion: I won’t attempt to shelter her from the world as that would only breed contempt. I will instead teach her to understand the world and everything it holds for her. I will give her the gift of believing in her and trusting her to make the right choices. I will show her what a man should be to his wife by loving and supporting her every day. I will take her shopping and suffer through all the embarrassing moments because I know at the end of the day that my purpose in life, as a man and father will be to make sure that my little girl has the whole world at her finger tips.
Buddy is staring at me intensely while I daydream about the future and I wonder to myself; what if I have to dress up as a princess when my daughter demands it? Then we’re probably going shopping again.
