“It wasn’t until I reached my 30s that I felt properly grown-up. Which is weird because I’d obviously crossed a ton of milestones off my list in my 20s…
I travelled overseas, I’d fallen in and out of love (and everything in-between) more than a few times, I started my business, experienced profound sadness and incredible highs, I met my wife. I was ticking things off left right and centre.
But I look back on all of that as preparation for my 30s as I embark on welcoming my first child into the world, knowing the next 10 years will be all about giving him the best possible start to navigating life.
I’m floored when I see photos of my own father, who at my age already had 5 children.
Like many of his generation, he did things the other way around, giving his 20s entirely to his family, working non-stop to ensure we had a great education, a roof over our heads, pocket money when we were happy to ‘earn a dollar’, generally sacrificing superficial joys he could’ve easily spent on himself so he could transfer them onto us kids.
And, as children usually are, we weren’t always grateful at the time.
It’s only now, in my 30s, on the precipice of being a father that I feel most connected to him and appreciative of all he did.
I now know there’s a powerful innate drive to work that comes over a man just before his baby is born. Maybe it’s hormones? Maybe it’s the fear of not being to afford all those nappies?
All I know is I’ve never felt such a weight of responsibility and at the same time, I’ve never felt more ready.
I like to think it’s because I did have all those wayward years in my 20s to grow up, make mistakes, learn from them and hopefully bring some of that learning into my life.
They always say ‘don’t grow up, it’s a trap’ but really it’s a trip.
The best kind. One that shows you beauty beyond your imagination and sometimes struggle that feels almost too hard to bear.
In the end, hopefully leaving you with memories that make it all worth it.
And my Dad? He’s travelling the globe every opportunity he can get, more than making up for lost time. Using it wisely because time is precious.
Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads out there.”
— Dominic Loneragan
