FACING DOWN ALL OF THE CHALLENGES OF BECOMING A NEW PARENT IS EXCITING AND DAUNTING, BUT WHAT I DIDN’T EXPECT WAS TO BE CONFRONTED WITH MY MORTALITY…

I’m a soon-to-be dad, and that’s incredibly exciting. I’m excited about snuggles and adventures. I’m excited to teach my son all of the things that the men and women in my life have taught me that help me bring value to the world. I’m excited about all of the bedtime stories, laughter, and lessons that come with being a parent. One thing I didn't count on though, was the fact that becoming a parent meant confronting my mortality. It meant confronting the fact that my life is finite and that danger lurks around every corner.

With a little one on the way, I've been thinking so much about new beginnings. About how life can be created from seemingly nothing and grows into something beautiful. But as all things do, life also declines, and eventually ends, sometimes naturally but sometimes suddenly and tragically. So as a human responsible for the care and well-being of another soon-to-be human, I have to start confronting the fact that I won't be on this planet forever. Someday, if I've done my job right, my child will be set up for success and will be a happy, healthy, productive member of society. But I also need to plan for the unexpected.

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, it's become abundantly clear that so much of this world is completely out of my control. War, famine, disease, crime, and so many other factors can impact our lives out of the blue. Our fragile existence seems to hang on by a thread with the fates ready to snip the cord at their leisure. I don't say all of this to sound bleak or pessimistic, but I do say it because it's the reality of the world we live in.

So what's the answer? How can I do what's best for my child, and help them lead the best life possible? I believe that it starts with planning. Planning for retirement, planning for college, and most of all, planning for what happens if my wife or I (or both of us), are suddenly not around to take care of our little one. Estate planning, living wills, powers of attorney, all of these are tools to help ensure that our child is taken care of if we're no longer able to.

Does all of this mean that I'm going to live in fear of something bad happening? No. It means the exact opposite. It means that if we've planned properly, we know that if something happens, our child (or children) will be cared for. Our kids will have the best chance at leading normal lives, going to college and not graduating hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, and that they'll have food on the table. It means that we can go on adventures and live our best possible lives without fear of not having a safety net. It means being grateful for every moment, big and small. Gratitude, love, and a good plan. That's the move.