Happy Birthday Colin!

It’s Colin’s 1st birthday today. While I can’t believe that it’s been a year, I also can’t believe all the things that we’ve been through in the last year. Like the saying goes, the days are long but the years are short.

Prior to Colin being born, I did not know that I was capable of loving anyone or anything more than I love my son. There is nothing that brings me more happiness than seeing him in the mornings smiling back at me.

Watching Colin grow has been the biggest joy of my life and I’ve been doing everything possible to cherish the moments I have with him. I know that one day I’ll be writing a blog post on his 18th birthday talking about how time has gone and that he’s now an adult. That makes me sad, but the impermanence of everything is what makes life beautiful.

Life this past year has been the most rewarding year of my life, but at the same time, likely the most challenging. In order to be a better father, I’ve really had to grow up. I’ve had to come to terms that being a parent means giving up a large part of your own life. While it has all been worth it, it has not been easy. It’s been a rollercoaster of a year with a lot of highs and a lot of lows, but I’ve finally gotten to a really good place right now.

I suppose now Colin is officially a toddler and not an infant anymore. There’s going to be a lot of fun developments coming in the next few weeks to months with his first steps and first words likely. For now though, this week and weekend is about celebrating the little guy that has brought so much joy to his parents and family. Happy Birthday Colin!