Daddy's little girl

Em, like me, appreciates her Dad's insights and wisdom. One recent night they had a discussion about a father's feelings when a new baby is brought home. I learned something I'd never really acknowledged...fathers feel a little left out--displaced, I guess--when a newborn enters the picture. I can't remember much about it, but I hope I was sensitive to this when we brought Em home many years ago. I can't be sure. Mostly I just remember feeling dependent on him--for food, shelter and comfort--and this took a little getting used to for me since I've never liked that feeling. But in hindsight (and many years of it), I realize that life only works when we depend on each other, not in a stranglehold, but in an egalitarian way. "I need you," doesn't make me needy. It just makes me human.