The Good Father...

Chris is going to be a great dad.

Of this, I am certain.

Not only does he love kids, but he's great with them. Last weekend when E & J were visiting with their kids F and A, my husband was at his finest.

He and 9 year-old F grab the badminton rackets/birdies and commence attempting to keep up a string of unbroken volleys. Chris counts out loud with each hit of the birdie. F laughs and giggles each time that she and Chris keep the birdie aloft and laughs even more at his mock cries of distress when one of them misses.

"Seven...Eight...Nine....Ten...Eleven...OH NO! We were doing so great! Let's try again!...One... two...three..."

4 year-old A watches from the safety of our hammock, laughing also at Chris when he lets out a cry at a dropped birdie. E, J and I watch from the deck and share in the laughter as well. The game goes on and on and on with neither player - adult or kid - showing any signs of tiring. They eventually put together an impressive string of 28 unbroken volleys.

I fall just that much more in love with Chris while watching him interact so naturally with the kids.

He has so much patience and kindness in him. Our Little One will be so lucky to have him as a Dad.

But, of course, I wonder a little...underneath that confident and caring exterior, does Chris have the same worries that I do?

Does he wonder if he's good enough to be a father?

Are all fathers assailed by doubt?

Post Script

This morning before we leave for work I mention to Chris that I have written a post about him. He is syncing his iPod to his computer and so makes a quick foray to "In the present moment..."

Upon reading this post he turns to me and says, "Thank you."

I ask him, "So, are you worried about being a dad? Do you have doubts?"

"No," he replies, "I don't have any worries about being with our kid or anything to do with being a dad that way. The stuff I worry about is the money and if our house is big enough - you know - the practicalities. That's the stuff I worry about."

Do all Dads worry about the practicalities?