Inside A Father's Soul

You look down at those eyes
And you see everything you ever dreamed of being
You see unlimited opportunities
You see unconditional love and respect

Inside, your soul somersaults
Can I provide this child with the opportunities?
Can they succeed where I have failed?
Will this child always love the real me?

My child sees all of me that is good
And looks past or doesn't understand my deficiencies
The passion in their eyes has not been beaten down
By the realities of a harsh world

As a father, should I introduce the harsh realities
And take away their opinion of the perfect world
Or let the world present it's dangers to them
And help them navigate through as they need me

As a father, should I assume that they will trip as I have
Or let them walk on their own and see how they balance
By sharing my experiences, do I create their own?
Would I be better to just nudge them forward versus leading?

A father's soul can be simplified
The child goes long, the father let's the ball fly
Running, looking back over the shoulder, finding the flight of the ball
Catching, holding on; a completion and all is well

If only imparting all of life's joys and lessons could be so easy

A father's soul can be too complex
Perfection is the only goal
I haven't been but my child can be
They will be all that I couldn't bring myself to be

It is best to let them fly
They have wings of their own and they will flap them
I must nudge them out of the nest
Impart in them the self-confidence to fly

Each child must find their own way
Follow the road that they choose to travel
As a parent, I must only help them learn to drive
To stay on the road as much as possible

And when they get mud on their tires
And life's dirt has attempted to stain them
I must be ready to wash them clean
Through acceptance, love and compassion

A father's job is never done
But is made easier if mom is on the job too
A child needs to understand that they have a safe haven
A home where they can always just be themselves

A father's soul is restless
Have I done enough?
Will this child love themselves as much as I love them?
Will they understand their purpose in life?

A father's soul is full of fright
How can I impart the wisdom I could never grasp?
How can I teach them purpose when I sometimes question my own?
How can I?


Imparting all of life's joy and lessons means clearly showing your child
that you don't have all the answers

A father's soul should be filled with humility
And pride
A father's soul should be filled
And emptied out again and again for that child


~ Michael L. Perkins
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