Being a parent is the single most influential job you will ever have. That is the truest statement I have made today. Nothing offends me greater than someone comparing having a dog or cat to having a child, here's why... Having a pet takes work and responsibility, don't get me wrong, but no one in their right mind is going to change their lives around for a pet. Having a child literally changes your life. Being responsible for another human life is the ultimate in any and all responsibilities, I mean this person depends on you to do everything for them; feed them, change them, put them to sleep, love them. Having a pet can at times be difficult, but you can lock a pet in another room when they are aggravating you, can't do that with a child. Most of us are of sane enough mind to know that there is an epic difference in caring for a child versus a pet, however let me give you the best explanation. A pet typically will love you unconditionally as his provider, whereas your job as a provider for your children is to love them unconditionally. Being a parent to a child changes not only your life but your mindset, sanity kind of goes out of the window. You begin to worry about things that don't even make sense. I personally have had a re-occurring daytime nightmare about something irrational, like the end of the world, and I am too far from my kids to get to them in time to save them...see what I mean. A parent can lose their shit entirely based on a single repetitive word or even sound. My youngest son says "thank you" all the time, he has no idea what it means when he says it. Either he wants something or he is trying to get my attention or he wants picked up or...well the list goes on and on. I can actually feel myself getting ready to snap when I hear him in the back seat repeating "thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you". My neck tightens in the back, my head begins aching and I desperately wish that in that moment I was completely deaf. Instead, I turn around, smile and say "what buddy". That's a parent for you, being able to have an insurmountable amount of pressure agitating you and being able to smile and reason your way through it. So the biggest difference between having a pet and being a parent is...please dear god if you value anything you own or that is attached to your persons never make the comparison again... So there it is. I just threw out a million dollar question, it's one that I ask of myself on a routine basis. Frankly I wish the answer was easy, if you have your children full-time this is even harder. One of the questions I get asked the most often is; How soon before I start dating? Here's the thing, there is no right answer to this question, it depends on you; what you are comfortable with. I can say this, if you are dating just to avoid being alone, it's too soon. We talked before about how this is a new beginning for you, but here's the thing. If you want to date because you are uncomfortable being alone, or because your ex is now dating, or even because you want to get her out of your head...than you are not ready. New beginnings only start because something else has ended, basically what I am saying is you can't start a new life if you doing it because of your old one in any way. You need to be 100%. I'm not going to lie, sure it feels great to get back out there and throw it all around, unfortunately if you aren't ready this is going to come back to get you in the long run. Either one of two things, you'll fall way too fast, or you will become addicted to the idea that exchanging physical encounters is helping to alter your state of being down due to the split. How many people are you willing to hurt by doing this? Think about how you felt when it ended and realize that for most, I stress most because some women don't care, women are going to feel that way when they realize you just used them to satisfy only your own needs. Dating should be treated as what it is, an attempt to find someone you enjoy being around and hopefully a long term relationship. Odds are you just got out of one, so ask yourself am I ready for another long term relationship? I was told a variety of things when I asked this question; start right away, wait 3 months, 6 months, a year, or whenever you're ready. A really smart lady (no not my mother) told me that you know you are over someone when things you struggle to do now because they are a reminder cease being that. In other words when you can listen to that song, or watch that movie, or even just drive down that street without being hurtfully reminded of what once was...then and only then are you truly ready. With that being said, I made mistakes. I have dated two different women since my separation and in both cases it was a mistake on my part, one was a high school crush, and the other was a co-worker. Not that anything was wrong with either of them, but rather with me. I wasn't ready and I was too blind to know it, I gave my heart away like yesterdays newspaper, it was not pretty on either accounts. I became the very opposite of who I was, I was clingy and needy and just grrrrrrrrrrrr. Sorry it makes me mad to even talk about it because honestly I was a moron, nothing says you're an idiot like saying "I love you" to someone you've been with for as short a time as I was. To save myself any further embarrassment I will openly refuse to say how long I made myself look foolish. Either way you look at it, you can learn from my mistakes, I have. Now I have been single for going on five months and I can honestly say I'm quite happy, sure I miss that feeling of knowing that I have a girlfriend, but the reality is now my life is much easier. I can focus my time and energy on my children and myself, I'm saving money too. What I do have is a group of friends I try to communicate with everyday, and honestly most of them are women who have their own children. Not that I did it on purpose but I can more easily relate to them because they are not only aware of but also experiencing the same issues I am. It's this communication that keeps me sane, it makes me not even really think about dating at all, in fact anytime I get lonely I shoot someone a text or instant message and those feelings melt away into the conversations I'm having. I like to joke around and say I have dozens of girlfriends, because in the end I do. I'm not dating any of them but we talk in most cases daily, whether it's about kids, or work, or even everyday life. Having that support system has kept me fairly straight and that network of people having my back has kept me sane in what can only be described as a crazy single dad world. Just remember that love is one of the most honest and genuine emotions we have, mainly because it contributes to so many other emotions; happiness, sadness, anger. If we are not careful on who we give it to it becomes devalued even in our own minds. So the answer to that question...quite simply is, there is no answer. The only thing I can say is this; if you focus on being happy alone and loving yourself, than being happy with someone and loving them will come to you in a more natural way. |
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