The dad blogger JD is a stay-at-home dad to twins Jake and Ellie. Here he writes about their ability to overcome obstacles in support of a Mother of twins, Emma Day, who is fighting cancer .
My wonderful twins Jake & Ellie have been inspiring me. I’ve been so impressed with their determination. They want to do almost everything they see anyone else, especially older children, doing.
Even if – especially if? – it scares them.
They seem to think that almost nothing is, or should be, beyond them. Such self-belief, such confidence! Perhaps not always grounded in reality, but it’s there nonetheless. And it seems to be working for them.
If at first you don’t succeed
Last April, for instance, they launched themselves into climbing a tree, completely independently. They got stuck, & cried. I lifted them out – then they climbed straight back up again!
On Saturday we had the rope bridge. The first chance they’d had to climb it for weeks, normally they’d attempt it, get scared & I’d help them across. This time they charged over as if it was the easiest thing in the world. There were a few shouts of “I did it!” on the other side!
On Monday they insisted on going on a zip-wire for the first time. After being too scared at first, they went back & loved it. Then last night they spontaneously did rock-clambering for the first time, & really took to it – again with their determination overcoming their fears.
Overcoming life’s obstacles
They’ve seen something they wanted to do, overcome their fears & just gone & done it. Life is full of obstacles. Things that it can throw at us can be daunting, overwhelming even. Or, in Ellie’s words: “a bit scary”.
There are things that we should do in order to have a better life, & things that we must do. From things like providing for your family – emotionally, mentally, financially – to things like fighting cancer. Jake & Ellie are determined, & strong. They fight their fears, & conquer them.
They are an inspiration. I have challenges to face, challenges which sometimes seem overwhelming. They have spurred me on to see that I can overcome my fears, that I can be determined, that I can fight & that I can win.
If these little 3-year-olds can do that then so can I. And so can we all.
Emma has. Cancer came at her, and she fought back. “Cancer we’re coming to get you!” is her war-cry. She’s been through a really hard time – but she’s winning. She’s faced her fears, she’s fought for herself & for her family, & she’s coming out on top.
Jake & Ellie overcome. Emma overcomes. And so can we all.
So I’ll see you on the other side. And together we can shout “I did it!”
—Picture: Whiskey For Aftershave
This post was originally written for the ‘Shoulder To Shoulder To Day’ blog-hop: bloggers coming together to support Emma Day in her fight against cancer, especially while she was receiving treatment in isolation & unable to be with her family.
You can follow JD’s blog about bringing up twins at www.whiskeyforaftershave.com.
In the run up to launch of the film Down Dog on 14 February, insideMAN is running a series of articles about fatherhood and we’d love you to get involved. You can join the conversation on twitter by using the hashtag #MenBehavingDADly; leave a comment in the section below or email us with your thoughts and ideas for articles to insideMANeditor@gmail.com.
For more information about the film see www.downdogfilm.com.
