To the Dads who show up

To the Dads who show up
I see you
I see you holding your wife’s hands
Through the whole ordeal of pregnancy
I see you comforting her after another round of vomiting
I see you choking back tears,
Watching your little one arrive
I see you do the 2 am feed
And the 4am rocking
I see you do the non-stop pacing
I see you sad, when you have to leave for the day,
Wanting to spend just another five minutes with your baby
I see you come home exhausted, and take over from your wife, because you want to do this equally
I see you changing the narrative,
Of how fathers ‘should’ be
I see you taking over in the mornings
So that Mamma can get some sleep
I see you babbling during bath time
And singing during diaper changes
I see you gently dancing,
With your little one, to music
I see you teaching your little one how to walk
I see you waiting for them to talk
I see your face fall, when baby wants only Mamma yet again
I see you kiss their fears away,
And keep your own at bay
I see you anxious, working hard to provide
I see you toiling day and night
I see you excited on that first step,
And I see you missing milestones, because you had to be away
I see you be their safe haven,
I see you share your fears, however unwillingly
I see your need to Protect your Family
I see you do your best to understand
The myriad of emotions
And complexities of Parenthood
I see you be your Wife’s cheerleader ,
When she thinks she is failing at this yet again
I see you respect her position,
I see you accept her decisions
I see you cuddling your little one
And teaching her to say Papa,
When Mamma isn’t looking
I see you laugh because baby looks more like you than her
I see you excited about school
A chance for you to relive those days again
I see you joyous, and I see you curious
I see you strong and I see you vulnerable
I see you be exactly how a
Father should be
To the Dads who show up
I see you
Thank You