Colin turned 1-year-old almost a month ago. Boy, that went by fast. It’s surreal to think that a year ago he didn’t know how to walk, talk, or play with his toys. This past year has been full of endless amounts of joy, frustration, fear, and love, among many other emotions.

Parenting is hard. I don’t state that lightly. Parenting is by far the most emotionally, physically, and mentally demanding and exhausting thing I’ve ever done. Nothing even comes close or compares in my humble opinion. Between work, housekeeping duties, and taking care of Colin, my loftiest goal at the end of the day is some Netflix and then hitting the hay to get ready for the following day. Although it’s taxing, challenging, and demanding, I genuinely joy the role of being a father. Here are a few reasons why I do:

• I cherish the feeling of holding him in my arms and watching as he slowly falls asleep. It’s a feeling that’s truly difficult for me to describe to someone. It just overcomes me with such joy and contentment. I believe one of the reasons why I treasure it so much is because I know one day he’ll outgrow those moments and that I’ll miss them.
• The father/son bond that Colin and I are building is something that I’ve relished over the past few weeks. For example, I’ll make a weird noise and then he’ll replicate the exact same weird noise that I make. It’s been entertaining to watch as he slowly starts to learn new things and develop his own little personality. He’s definitely a Harris that’s for sure.
• I love watching him walk as fast as he can over to me when I pick him up from daycare after work. It’s another feeling that’s hard to describe. Enthusiasm and joy both pour out of us during these moments. Even though it’s only been a few hours since I’ve seen him, it feels like it’s been much longer than that. I compare it to catching up with a friend or loved one that you haven’t seen in a very long time.
• I value the moments when he reminds of what’s important in life. It’s so easy to get caught up on all of the negativity in today’s day and age, from social media to the political climate. His big blue eyes and infectious grin never cease to reinforce what’s truly significant in my life.

Of course there’s more that I love about being a father. It’s been a magnitude of blessings and cherished memories with only more to come. While it does have its challenges, I believe those have molded me into a stronger, more confident, and well-rounded individual. Moreover, it’s advanced a number of life skills that will equip me to live a more fulfilled and productive life, including patience, communication, time management, and stress-management.

Thanks for reading!

— Chris