This moment right in front of you is a gift. It might not feel like it. Not with bills to pay or traffic to wait through. Not with a colicky baby or a resentful teenager that refuses to give you a rest. But indeed, these are wonderful moments. 

Certainly better than not having this moment at all right?

“Always hold fast to the present,” Goethe said. “Every situation, indeed every moment, is of infinite value, for it is the representative of a whole eternity.”  

Being a dad is not some generalized experience. It’s not the high school graduation or walking them down the aisle in the distant future. It’s not what’s already happened either—being there for the birth, reading stories to them. It’s right now. It’s whatever you’re doing in this moment. 

Driving them to school. Folding laundry. Getting some quiet time before they wake up. Sending them to their room. Taking away their phone because their grades have slipped. This is all it, this is all part of the job. And every one of these moments is wonderful. All of it is a gift. 

All of it is right now, being presented to you. Accept it. Embrace it. Hold onto it.

P.S. This was originally sent on Sep 3 2019. Sign up today for the Daily Dad’s email and get our popular 11 page eBook, “20 Things Great Dads Do Everyday”.