Excerpts of Being A Man - Cats in A Cradle?

I am a father now to several children both biologically mine and not and they came from several moms. Rearing them is the main thing that I would like to do. Give them the best things that I could provide and ensure that they are well-fed & nourished, well-taken care of, healthy in all aspects and prepare them for a better future.

When I was younger, I never thought that I could be a full time Dad and I used to think that children should be left with their mothers and the best thing that a Dad could do is be a provider. So I just focused then on earning money, beefing up my corporate career and doing business all the time. I used to say to my ex-other-wife whenever she would hand my baby that "Ei! I am in a hurry. You better take care of him coz I would be late. " Among my own five children, wherein all of them are boys, I feel guilty of not being there when they were still an infant to the first two boys. Whenever their mothers would hand them to me before when I was still living with their moms, I always refuse and say "He won't be able to understand me. He is still a baby. I would have the time when he grows up and he would learn a lot from me." That was I thought the best right thing to do.

Running several businesses, being employed as a consultant, doing photography works for my photo and video studio, overseeing my bar during night time, I never had the time to be with them except when I sleep in their mom's places. I believed then that it was the right thing to do. Materially speaking, they have enough. So there was no reason for me to get worried about then.

As years pass by, the more I got tied up to my businesses. There are times that I was able to spend time with my second boy whenever I borrowed her from her mother while unfortunately with my first boy, they went to a far place. However, this last year when I visited my second boy. Upon seeing me, he ran away and cried instead, he hugged her nanny all the more and never want to even come near me.

Then it dawned on me. I was not doing the right thing. My own boy who could then talk doesn't even want to come near me. The more I suppose the reaction would be of my first boy. I remember that song revived by Ugly Kid Joe, "Cats in the Cradle..." It is a good thing that I am never as old as that of the father in that song. I still have the time to correct myself with all my children that is why I recalled all of them & am living with them except for my first boy. I wish I am never too late.