They say that wisdom can be found anywhere; you just have to know how to look. Well, with these immediate post-baby ramblings I am out to prove that even an exhausted new dad can find wisdom...
A while back, I heard radio host Dennis Prager make an interesting comment on his famous "happiness hour." He made a case for happiness based on the fact that so many things have to go right for nothing to go wrong. A day when nothing goes wrong is actually a terrific day. It is a day to celebrate. "Do you know how many things had to go right for nothing to go wrong?"
Over the past few weeks, as our new baby's arrival approached ever closer, more and more people kept asking, "So do you want a boy or a girl?" I responded in cliché fashion: "Oh, it doesn't matter—it should just be healthy!"
Well, as we were rushing off to the hospital, the babysitter asked the same question. "Ten fingers and ten toes..." I hurriedly answered. But as I drove, my wife laboring, dread fell upon me. Suddenly all I was able to think of was all the children I knew that had one form of handicap or another. I was afraid that our baby, G‑d forbid, would have "special needs" or challenges that I didn't know whether I had the strength to deal with...
I fervently prayed to G‑d for a healthy baby and a birth that would be fast and free of any complications.
And indeed it was fast. But those few hours felt like an eternity, as I played out in my head many many possible horrible scenarios.
Not to be a drama king, but take a moment to think about how many things had to go right for nothing to be wrong with the baby! There are respiratory issues, cardiac issues, neurological issues... basically every organ of this tiny little miracle had to develop perfectly for this baby boy (as it turned out...) to be whole and perfect. I suddenly had a deep appreciation for what Dennis Prager said.
Well, thank G‑d everything did work out okay; our little miracle boy scored a perfect ten on the Apgar scale. As my nerves settled, as I was starting to figure out how I was going to fulfill all those silent promises I made to G‑d in the car and as the baby was being born, it dawned on me: this can be a very useful tool in my service to G‑d.
If I were to walk around with a perpetual sense that it is just as likely for things not to go right as it is for them to go right, I would have a sense of humility built into my psyche—as the constant daily miracles would go noticed, rather than assumed. Every waking, walking and breathing second is a literal miracle from G‑d; not something to be taken lightly.
This knowledge would humble me when things do go well and fortify me when things do not.
That's enough pontificating for a new dad with 1001 and responsibilities. I think I will now go back to bathing the kids, serving dinner, finishing up homework, making lunch for tomorrow's school day and try to grab a shower before I run back to the hospital to bring my wife a bowl of chicken soup.
Goodness, how do these women do it?!
