My last post was about the inevitable depression that arrives soon after a major event in one's life. Most of the time these major events are very positive ones like weddings, graduations, big sports victories, a new job, completion of big projects or tasks and journeys in life.
But there is one major event that has been very positive for me and doesn't result in a drop off of happiness after it loses its luster. One that I would also relate to Christmas as I did the last post.
This has been the births of my daughters.
I recall my early days of fatherhood. I would frequently use the analogy of the excitement of Christmas morning to describe the feeling of entering fatherhood. But the difference in the two experiences was that my child never lost her luster as the Christmas gifts inevitably did every year.
This wasn't to say being a Dad was always sugarplums and lollipops. My experience in particular has been very difficult and stressful.
But at no moment have I lost the exciting feeling deep in my soul. I still feel and appreciate my "gift" (now gifts with an "s") as much as I did the moment they were brought into the world.
There has been no drop off and I don't anticipate there ever will be.
The next part of that TV show isn't "December 26th." It is the next dramatic, entertaining episode. Everyday life with my children is filled with excitement and happy feelings that you would see as the protagonist figures the moral of the story. It is far from mundane.
So not every happy experience has to have that sad, plunging feeling of returning to the "baseline."
1 comment:
Beau, I can tell you that you will still feel this way 35 years later. Okay, ALMOST 35 years later - I don't want to age you any faster!
You are a spectacularly good daddy and I am proud of both you and Doug for being such excellent fathers. Of course, I always say that you had the best role model in the world with your own dad.
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