Being A Dad in My Fifties

After many years of trying, both naturally or through artificial means, we finally welcomed our boy in January 2023.  It had been a tough journey, spanning more than a decade, both physically for my wife and emotionally for both of us.  We almost became parents in 2017 and 2020 but it was not to be then.  The anguish of our loss still lingers within our hearts and looms over us whenever we think of them.       

While we were elated with joy when we found out that my wife was pregnant last May, there were trepidations because we have had 2 unsuccessful pregnancies previously.  However, with much prayers and perseverence, we managed to have a somewhat uneventful pregnancy.  Perhaps "uneventful" is an overstatement as we did have a scare in the first trimester that had caused much consternation and concern.  But by God's grace, the baby developed well and each visit to the gynaecologist watered our hope.   

Our boy made his entrance into the world via a planned caesarean section on the morning of his birth.  He was a beauty to behold and his wails were music to my ears even as my wife laid on the OT with her abdomen still open.  I was asked to accompany the newborn to the delivery ward where the paediatrician wanted to be sure he was okay.  Again, by God's grace, our boy was cleared and we quickly made our way to where my wife was resting.  The reason is to have mother and child hold each other in a skin-to-skin contact that is touted to be good to both.  It was a miraculous sight for me and the fact that I'm now a father finally hit home.  

It's been almost 8 months since our boy came into our lives and I thank God for his blessing each and every day.  While it was tough intially when he needed a drink every 2-3 hours, he has since been able to sleep through the night.  And he has grown so well and so handsomely that I feel so privileged to be his father.  Of course, I think about being a father at this age and how many more years I have to work to secure his future.  But somehow, I do not worry much about it because life is so much more meaningful nowadays.  I also have my God and Lord, Jesus, to trust in and He has said he will never leave nor forsake me.  He promises to supply all my needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.