There’s no doubt about it, being a father certainly tests your patience from time to time. I am a prime example of a dad who struggles daily with this.
Every stage of your child’s life presents a new challenge of its own. As kids get older they also get smarter, which is a double edged sword. They begin to talk back to you, not listen, or even argue. The not listening is what grinds my gears the most. I often find myself losing my cool and reacting to the situation instead of staying calm and approaching the matter correctly. I know I am not alone in this struggle, but I also know it is an area I greatly need to work on.
Recently, my entire family was hit with a stomach virus, all at the same time. It was an ugly scene, but after the first 12 hours passed and the worst was over, the next 48 hours were amazing in a weird way. As everyone began to feel a little better, we all quarantined together for another couple days before we were able to return to work/daycare/school. During this time of recovery, life really seemed to slow down. We didn’t care about the house being clean, dishes piling up, doing laundry, work, or creating content for social media. All we cared about was resting, relaxing and tending to each others needs so we could all get through this illness together.
While recovering, my kids were both exhausted and extremely snuggly. It was evident that they didn’t feel good and they constantly just wanted mom and dad to be by them while they watched movies and crafted. Neither one of them had the energy to be their normal crazy selves and fight with each other….the house was finally peaceful.
During this time, I was really able to focus on being a father and husband. It was a great reminder that family comes first and everything else comes after. I was reminded that having a clean house isn’t the most important thing and to slow down and focus to give my family the attention they need and deserve. I truly enjoyed those couple of days of simply relaxing as a family with no other cares in the world.
Of course a couple days later our lives as we know it continued and life once again got crazy. I continue to struggle with being patient, but I continue to work on myself. I understand these things take time to work on and in a world where everything seems to be instantaneous that is a hard concept to grasp sometimes.
Whenever I feel overwhelmed I think about those 48 hours when our lives were put on hold to quarantine as a family. I think about our sweet, beautiful kids and try to look past the craziness of them throwing toys and fighting with each other.
Life is constantly testing you and providing opportunities to learn lessons and make improvements. Don’t ignore these opportunities. Make the best of every situation life throws at you and know that even during hard times positive things can come from it. I’m a believer that everything happens for a reason. Remain patient and you will eventually see the positives that come from a negative situation.
