I wrote the following words the morning that my wife went into labor with our son:
Our son is coming. I can feel him. He is ready to be here. I love him so much. He inspires me to be his dad. He motivates me to be a good man - the best man that I can be. I want to show him a good way to live this life. I want to show him how to take good care of himself, his family, and community. I want to give him the freedom to learn and remember what he already knows deep in his heart, soul and innate wisdom.
But, before that, I want to protect him. . . I want to make sure that his mom feels really safe in her labor and birth ceremony. I want to create a holy atmosphere in our home in these precious coming days up ahead.
I invoke the sacrifices that we have both made to devote ourselves to this path of parenthood - the many days of fasting and prayer that we have committed ourselves to in order to prepare ourselves for the utmost privilege of bringing new life into this world.
May our son love Life. May he love all living beings - innately, naturally. May he grieve over the loss of our natural habitat, when the time comes for him to see such things. And, may his Spirit be strong. May his determination be clear. May he dedicate himself to the upliftment of humanity. May he come to awaken and activate his brothers and sisters to a way of life that will allow his children to grow up in a healthy environment and wise culture.
May the fruit trees grow plentiful in his days, may the corn, beans and squash once again keep each other company, and may we, once again learn to save the four corners of our harvest for those who are less fortunate - the wanderer and the beggar. And, may his children live in a world where everyone has what they need - the inner strength, the love in their heart, the companionship, ingenuity, resolve and resilience to create a beautiful life within the interconnected web of the whole.
May I walk with this vision and prayer close to my heart, at all times. May the discipline of the masculine, and the loving kindness of the feminine guide my path, as I embark on fatherhood.
In the last two months, here is what I can say about being a new father:
With Emet in my arms each day, I know that my work for a viable future is not at all theoretical. When Emet is 11 years old, it will be 2030. When he is 31 years old, it will be 2050. What will his world look like? What are we going to do so that he has a chance at a life that is beautiful, in this generation.
He is a precious being wholly dependent on me and Sarah’s capacity to nurture him. Wow! If I don’t do a good job, no one else will. This blunt reality of our experience is energizing me with a do-it-together attitude about social impact and building alliances that accelerate our tipping point towards a society that actually works.
Emet is not the only person in our family who has a new life. I do too. And, so does Sarah, my wife. We are new - reborn. Being born into fatherhood has brought an end to my previous life. And, it is wonderful. I am rejoicing. Yes, I’m getting less sleep. For sure. It’s true what they say…which is what I wondered before he came. But, so what…each morning when he smiles and laughs the lack of sleep becomes a non-issue.
And, it goes in cycles. After a day or two of being exhausted, something shifts, and the sleep comes. Somehow, I reconnect with being rested, and I am once again rejuvenated, ready to go.
What’s most important is that there is a different quality of energy within me. I would say 98% of the anxious monkey-mind has lost its hold on my decision-making. Emet has brought me into this world in a way that thirty-seven years of life on my own never has.
With Emet in my life, I will never think to throw in the towel and say “game over.” As Paul Hawken says, why not have this be the moment when we say “game on” in regards to creating a viable future for our children and grandchildren...all the way down the line.
