That's what a good friend of mine told me today, as he was cutting up a hash brown to bite sized bits for his one-and-a-half year old daughter, while I gaped at him with my mouth wide open, one part of my brain telling me this guy sitting in front if me is not the friend I used to know. What happened? Can having a kid really change someone that much?
Before I even begin telling you how much of a father he's become, I feel a need to first tell you how he was. This friend of mine, was a Casanova, and he knew it. He was only interested in one thing. Girls. I used to not be able to have a proper conversation with him because he was always spacing out each time a "cute" girl walked by! Having said that, he is a friend I used to hang out with a lot, and I was his Aunt Agony, whom he would pour out his woes to about the many girlfriends that he was kind of seeing, and the stress of having to juggle so many girls at once. Rolls eyes.
Anyways, since our wedding, I have sort of lost touch with this friend. We just stopped talking for some reason. Maybe because I was busy with my new life. It was only just recently that I heard from another friend that he has a kid and that he was married. Hm... Something's fishy. If he were married, I'd bet my last penny I would be invited. His daughter is now one and a half, but he didn't get married that early. Something just doesn't add up. And it didn't, after he had filled me in. But that's not important. What's important is that he's happy. What's even better is how much he has grown and matured since having responsibility over his daughter!
Today, we had arranged to meet so he could fill me in on the past year, and also to introduce me to the new love of his life, his daughter. What a darling she is!!! Kids are the most honest little beings on earth. They're so pure and simple, and that's what makes them so loveable. You don't have to pretend when you're with them. You're just yourself and they accept you just the way you are. That's why I love being around kids. Life is just simpler when you're around them.
At first my friend was wanting to meet me for something simple, maybe at a hawker for some eggs and toast. But then he decided last minute Macdonald's would be a better choice for his daughter - Air conditioned, with a playground outside. Power of love? As we parked, and got ready to get out of the car, his daughter thought he was going to leave for work and waved and said "bye bye daddy." Squuuueeeeeeeaaaaaall!!!!! Awwwww how cuuuuuuute!!! I told my friend. He just smiled, all proud of his daughter at how her cuteness could bring an adult female to her knees.
Over the course of breakfast with my friend and his daughter, and observing them, I realised how much he has changed for her. Little details like making sure I sat beside her while he went to order food, cutting up her hash brown for her so it's easier to feed herself, showing off all the new kids applications he has on his iphone his favourite being ba ba black sheep, and showing me all the pictures of his daughter he has dedicated a folder for in his iphone. One moment that warmed my heart so much was after he had cut up her food for her, she put her little hand on his, leaned toward him, and whispered "thank you daddy", before she gave him a peck on the cheek. Her cute factor is just off the charts! So was my squeal factor.
It's amazing how my friend is not afraid to make a fool out of himself as well just to show me how his daughter reacts to certain things. Like how he pretended to slowly motion his finger toward his nostril, wanting to do a huge digging and discovery, and when she realised what he was wanting to do, she gave him a shy smile, held his finger and slowly put it on the table, away from that nostril and said "daddy no no".
He was also telling me how he doesn't like or want to club anymore. How he thinks it's boring to spend his time this way, and how much he misses his daughter after a while, and all he can think of is to go straight home to see her, which he did after a couple of minutes at the club. Amazing! We used to club till the wee hours of the morning! And now he's telling me he wants to go home because he misses his daughter! What's great about this change is that it's effortless. He doesn't do these things because he has to, but because he WANTS to. What a great place he's at right now, and I'm really happy for him. What an AMAZING girl! She is the only girl I know who truly stole his heart.
Julien and I love kids. But like this friend of mine, we're both kind of afraid of the uncertain of having one. Watching this live testimony in front of me with his little angel reassures my heart in some way though. Maybe we're going to be just fine.
All in good time. At least this idea doesn't seem that uncertain to me anymore for one. Progress!
Congratulations P! I'd help babysit her anytime!
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