We come from different places. We believe different things. We work in different industries. We live in different eras. We occupy totally different stations in life.
And yet…
Our children are the one thing we have in common. One of the most beautiful songs about the transformation of becoming a parent is “Dear Theodosia” from Hamilton: An American Musical. It’s moving precisely because, despite their profound differences (indeed, one ultimately kills the other!), their feelings for their children are essentially the same. The tragedy of their rivalry deepens because they fail to see this profound connection that could have united rather than divided them.
It’s worth remembering that your love for your children mirrors how almost everyone else feels about theirs. We share this incredible bond. It’s a vulnerable, overwhelming, life-changing experience. Yet what do we do with this common ground? We mostly fight and focus on our disagreements about it.
Our love for our children—how they have changed, transformed, and humbled us—isn’t just universal across the world. It’s been constant throughout history. We should remember this when we judge our neighbors or our forebears.
P.S. As we write in the introduction of The Daily Dad book, parenthood is one of those beautiful experiences that links us, in an unbroken chain, back thousands and thousands of years. With this spirit in mind, we created our premium leatherbound edition of The Daily Dad as a legacy piece to be passed down through generations, carrying this timeless wisdom about parenthood forward to those who will follow in our footsteps.
