My young friend and godson, Budik, who is in his early 30’s, got married last year. One year later, his wife gave birth to an adorable son, Ygo.
Hours before Ygo came into this world, Budik said he was super nervous and really excited. He didn’t know whether the should run around the hospital or leap in place.
He did both.
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Now Budik is a very, very proud father and a very caring one. He helps his wife in bathing, feeding, and putting Ygo to sleep.
On Father’s Day in church, he gave a very touching oral testimony.
(A testimony is any declaration or statement, spoken or written, usually offered in a court hearing. However, it is also often a short talk in church or among friends to share one’s personal experiences, thoughts, and feelings.)
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Budik, smiling broadly and shedding a few tears of joy, recalled how grateful he was to God for this gift of life.
“When I laid my eyes on my son, I couldn’t describe the wonderful pitty-pat I felt in my heart,” he gushed.
He wants his loved ones and friends to share his happiness, so Budik uploaded on the internet dozens and dozens of Ygo’s photos from the day he was born to today, one month later.
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I approached Budik later and told him he said so many amazing things many fathers don’t normally say about their children.
The older fathers in church also told Budik that he said everything they would have wanted to say to their children but couldn’t, because they have difficulty finding the right words.
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Well, fathers are generally not as open about their feelings as mothers are. Most Moms say what they feel. And they show them , too, through hugs and kisses.
Many Dads, on the other hand, just smile when they are very proud, smile when they are super happy, and smile when they should be shrieking with excitement.
One of the older fathers on that Father’s Day said, “We love our children as much as mothers, we just don’t say it well or often enough.”
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Budik also does something that surprises and delights me. He reads my books to Ygo every night! And you know what? Ygo lies still and acts as though he understands every word.
“I want him to love reading when he grows up,” Budik explains. “I am starting early so Ygo gets into the habit of reading books.”
He calls his storytelling time “father and child bonding time.”
“I spend the same quality time reading to my son as his mother spends in breastfeeding him,” he explains his reading sessions.
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In many surveys conducted in the US by pediatricians, the results were the same: children who grow up reading books score higher in exams than those who were reared only on television. Ygo will surely score high when he grows up.
So how’s your reading habit? Do you like grabbing a book better than doing something else?
Tell me your thoughts on reading books. Please visit my website: http://leavesofgrace.blogspot.com or email me at: gdchong@gmail.com.