Welcome to the Jungle...
Being a Father has been the most amazing and rewarding role of my life. It has been a 20 year rollercoaster ride of experiences and emotions that I never could have imagined. I am forever grateful to have shared this time with my wife and 2 children. This Fatherhood gig has also taught me a great deal about myself, as I never dreamed of starting a blog at age 52. Yet here I am about to go "live" with a few stories, thoughts and observations that I hope will help others navigate this wild and unpredictable journey called parenthood.
In some ways these stories are aimed at a much younger me, maybe 27 when I first got married. What stories might I tell? What lessons might I share? What wisdom might I try to impart on a younger me? Because at this stage, with a college sophomore and a senior in high school all I have left are questions. Where did all the time go? Did I do a good job? Was I present? Did I teach them to be good humans?
Most of these posts have been written over the past 5 years. At the bottom of each piece I have attempted to place an accurate time frame. You will note my children’s ages at the time when these events originally took place. Today my kids are 17 (Karina) and 19 (Jared) so the early days are a bit more foggy. Thank god for that because some of the shit that you endure early on blows big time. Some posts will capture my mind set looking back on 24 years of marriage. It’s impossible to write about raising children without acknowledging your spouse and the role they played or didn’t play. A few more poignant entries will reflect on my own childhood and the differences between my upbringing and that of my two dependents. There is not a more difficult or rewarding path in life than raising children. The good news for younger parents still figuring this stuff out is that a lot of very funny shit happens along the path of parenthood. And as I look back now even the darker times were well worth the headaches and sleepless nights. I hope my blog makes you laugh, makes you think and makes you understand you are not alone in this journey.
This blog is my blog and written 100% by me. The opinions herein are solely mine. Yet, I couldn't share any of this “stuff” without Whitney and her leading role in raising our children. Cheers to Whit for being my partner in this crazy dance and for choosing motherhood as her greatest passion.
I hope you enjoy. Welcome to the Jungle!
Mark