The Surprising Rewards of Parenting

Before I had a baby, I was honestly a little scared of becoming a parent.

I thought it would mean giving up all my freedom and fun, and becoming some kind of responsible adult who was no longer cool. But when other people had babies, I congratulated them wholeheartedly, secretly thinking "better you than me."

Now, my whole perspective has changed. When someone has a baby, I'm genuinely happy for them, especially if it's their first. I feel like they just won the lottery or something.

I don't know how to explain it, but there's just something magic about being a parent. It's those moments that no one really talks about - the times when you're just hanging out with your kid and it's the best thing ever. I love going for walks with my baby, or just chilling at home. It's the best.

Of course, there are also times when parenting is a total drag, or even freaking terrifying. Kids have schedules and as a parent, you have to work around them. This can make it tough to get as much work done as you did before.

But I've learned to roll with it, and I've found that work (like love) always finds a way. If I only have a certain amount of time to work, I make the most of it. I may not get as much done as I did before I had a kid, but I still get enough done. And if my ambition can't survive the challenges of parenting, then it wasn't very strong to begin with.

I do miss some things about life before I had a child, like the freedom to take off for another country at a moment's notice. But when I think about it, I realize that I rarely used that freedom. I paid for it with loneliness, but I didn't really take advantage of it.

Now, I have so many happy moments with my child that they way outnumber any happy moments I had before. Being a parent has brought me more joy than I ever could have imagined, and I'm grateful for it every single day. I know that every parent's experience is different, and I'm lucky to have such a special bond with my kid.

I wouldn't trade these precious moments for anything in the world.