This was such a beautiful essay. I especially loved the wisdom in your observations that we watch our kids grow up to become more themselves, and that they are our hearts outside our bodies. I don’t play video games, but I had a similar experience reading favorite books from my childhood with my kids and rediscovering them through their eyes.
Our son put us through similar hell when he was a baby (only seven hours of screaming per day, so it wasn’t even as bad as what you went through and we barely survived). I felt the same way about advice--YES, we tried that, and it didn’t work! Repeat ad infinitum.
My theory, backed up by our own experience, is that kids will put you through hell either as babies or as teenagers but not both, and the baby hell is much better in every way than the teenager hell. So I hope it will be the same for your family.
My god, Edward. This was exquisite. You capture so much of what parenthood -- this kind of parenthood, the in-your-bones kind -- is. I hope your son reads this someday. (Though he won't need to, really. He'll know it from inside.)
That was an utterly beautiful piece of writing - thank you to you and your son.
This was such a beautiful essay. I especially loved the wisdom in your observations that we watch our kids grow up to become more themselves, and that they are our hearts outside our bodies. I don’t play video games, but I had a similar experience reading favorite books from my childhood with my kids and rediscovering them through their eyes.
Our son put us through similar hell when he was a baby (only seven hours of screaming per day, so it wasn’t even as bad as what you went through and we barely survived). I felt the same way about advice--YES, we tried that, and it didn’t work! Repeat ad infinitum.
My theory, backed up by our own experience, is that kids will put you through hell either as babies or as teenagers but not both, and the baby hell is much better in every way than the teenager hell. So I hope it will be the same for your family.
Happy birthday to your son!
My god, Edward. This was exquisite. You capture so much of what parenthood -- this kind of parenthood, the in-your-bones kind -- is. I hope your son reads this someday. (Though he won't need to, really. He'll know it from inside.)
😭
i am crying. this is wonderful.
Just gorgeous. Thank you for your courage, and for putting what it feels like in writing.