Friday, June 3, 2011

Husband First

In the various places where I get to write a profile of myself, I invariably put down husband first. Then father. And then maybe a little bit about "me". The husband part being first is on purpose. I read somewhere that the best way to be a good parent is to be a good spouse. A child sees a model of love, a model of civility, a model of manners in the way his parents interact with each other. Of course this is a generalization, but when I read (or heard this), I latched onto it.

Husband first. Father second.

A father's love is instinctive. A husband's love is deliberate. A father's love is unconditional. A husband's love is packed in with commitment. A father's love is pure, and at least in my case, it can be overwhelming. A husband's love is refined, and certainly in my case, more comforting.

June features my anniversary (today) and Father's Day, and as I enjoy the extra attention and the extra reminders, I find it fitting that my anniversary occurs first.