We have a lot of pillows in our bed. We use these pillows as cushion on walls to protect our son. This leaves me and my wife one pillow each for our head. During the course of sleep, these pillows would be rearranged. My son moves a lot. At first, he would sleep beside my wife, cuddling her ears. Next thing you know, he will be upside down with his feet on my face. Earlier this morning while I was half asleep, I found him with his head near the wall with no cushion on. When I saw that, I immediately grabbed my only pillow and placed it against the wall so that if my son turns, he won’t bump his head.
The instinct of a father is to protect his family whatever the cost maybe. A father will do anything to give his family a better life.
My dad is a retired ship captain. A few months ago in one of my rare moments with him, he revealed to me that every time he left home to get onboard for another long voyage, he would cry when he reached his cabin. My dad didn’t show to us that he was having a hard time. He didn’t tell us that life at sea and being away from your family for years is such a heartbreaking experience. Keeping his tears from us was his way of telling us that life goes on and not to worry whether there will be food on the table, I have clothes to wear and a shelter to keep us warm. Our dad gave us this luxury that we never appreciated. All we saw was his mistakes and his absence on times we needed a father. For this, I apologize to my dad for being cruel. Cruel for not understanding what he needed to go through to keep us afloat. He gave his all and I am forever grateful.
For my dad, his version of love was to provide and probably thought that the need for time will be compensated by our mom. Time was something he cannot give.
Now as a father and a husband, being the head of the family is more than just providing for your family’s needs. You’ve got to give your time. My son needs me and I’ve got to be there.
The greatest joy I have right now is whenever I see my wife and my son having a special moment together. I took this picture and incidentally you can see in the background Fuel Express. Indeed, this is what fuels me everyday.
Ern Ynion 