My Son’s First Word – Da Da!!

Today was no ordinary day for me! You see, today I heard my little 6 month old son say, “Da Da!” Now I know that may not seem like a big deal because, in truth and in fact, he probably didn’t know what it meant. He’s only 6 months old, afterall. But for me, it was priceless.

Yesterday when I was at the office, my wife called me and told me that he said it. I didn’t take her seriously. I thought she was trying to make me feel good, knowing that I work as hard as I do. But she said she wasn’t kidding – he actually said it. I had to hear it for myself.

Well today I heard it and it was special indeed. He said, “Da Da” while looking at me and believe me, I will never forget that moment. If you’ve read our blog for any length of time, you’ll know that I went through a divorce almost 10 years ago. My daughter was 3 years old at the time. I shared some of that experience in posts such as The Story Behind The Upbeat Dad and The Story of My Blended Family. My life came to a screaching halt with that divorce as everything seemed so wrong for such a long time.

To have come through that storm is a miracle in and of itself. But I made it through and lived to tell the tale. I have always dreamed of having a loving family –  a wife and children who I love and who love me. Unfortunately, my first go around with marriage wasn’t so successful.  But here we are so many years later. I’m happily remarried and my daughter lives with us. And the thrill of my life is that I now have a newborn son. A precious little angel is he.

My kids and my wife are my joy and pride. I love each of them with all of my heart – none more than the other. They each have all of me. When I heard my son say the special word, “Da Da,” that was worth it all to me. I just know that during the time that elapsed between hearing my daughter say the same words over 10 years ago and today, so much has transpired. So I could never take for granted just how special it is to me.

I wrote this post today to encourage others. My nightmare has turned into a sweet dream somehow. Still I know that for many, they’re presently living a nightmare. Their hearts are torn as they deal with the realities of life – of marriage, of divorce and separation. They’re dealing with situations that just seem impossible.

Let me encourage you with these words that you may have heard before: love conquers all. I don’t know how it works but I do know that it does. My love for my daughter kept me going through that tough and turbulent period. Now I add my love for my wife and son to the equation and indeed, I can attest to the fact that love does conquer all.

I hope that through posts such as this, persons all over the world will get a renewed sense of hope. Life does get better with time. The struggles that we have make us stronger. If you just hang in there, despite any challenge that you may presently face, you’ll make it just fine. Just make sure you shower your kids with unconditional love and the rest will work out for you.

Enjoy your day and just keep your head up today – that’s where the beauty of the sunshine comes from.

The Upbeat Dad