to a wonderful father

I realize that Father's Day is still a few days away, but I've lately been wanting to sing Blake's praises on the subject of fatherhood and lest the typical weekend craziness gets the better of me, I'd better pen my thoughts now so that they don't slip away.

I knew when I married him that Blake would one day be a great dad. Since Garrett was born, thus turning Blake from a husband to a father as well, this fact has been confirmed to me time and time again. For the past two years, Blake's natural ability to love and care for his son have been a delightful thing for me to watch.

I must admit: I didn't always agree with Blake's way of handling Garrett. He hadn't read the parenting books I had or participated in the child-rearing conversations I'd had with other mothers. He didn't have that divinely innate "mother's instinct" that had developed within me somewhere along my path to motherhood. How, therefore, could he possibly know better than I what was best for our son?

Oh, he knew. He knew, and more often than not he knew far better than I did. His "father's instinct" was just as divine and just as developed as my own knack for parenting. His gut instinct may have dictated a direction different my own would have gone, but he was just as adept as I was.

It took me some time to realize this, and then a little more time to accept it. I still sometimes forget that he, too, knows what he's doing, and I have to try hard to keep myself from correcting or criticizing him. But then I watch the two of them together, and I get all wishy-washy as my appreciation for Blake and all that he does for Garrett nearly knocks me off my feet.

Fatherhood: Round Two is just around Blake's corner, and his excitement for the arrival of his second son is contagious. Our children are incredibly lucky to have such a devoted, competent role model in their lives, and I hope that one day they, too, realize it.