Photo: Dylan riding home for the first time. Ten days after he was born.
“In his mother’s arms it was all the beauty I could take
Like the missing words to some prayer that I could never make
In a world so hard and dirty so fouled and confused
Searching for a little bit of God’s mercy
I found living proof”
Recently, I stumbled upon a Bruce Springsteen song that always meant so much to me. “Living Proof” is about somebody re-evaluating their life after the birth of his son. Dylan was so important in helping to make me the person I am today. He was just not a child of mine carrying around a few of my genes.
The birth of Dylan immediately changed my life forever. My life was touched by the whole process. I was most amazed by how I could love somebody so much that had barely taken his first breath. At that moment, I knew I would do anything for him. I would do anything to protect him from the perils of the world. It was the most incredible feeling I have ever experienced. I could not and can not imagine how anybody could ever feel differently. I’m sure this is why is sickens me to see how some people treat each other, especially their own children.
“You shot through my anger and rage
To show me my prison was just an open cage
There were no keys no guards
Just one frightened man and some old shadows for bars”
Goals and objectives became clear over the first few years of Dylan’s life. Eventually, we worked things out enough to fumble our way through life, and had another child that I loved as immediately as Dylan. A child that we are so — so very glad to have in our lives. A child that we would do anything to protect from the perils of the world. We found our “living proof” in our children too.
“Well now all that’s sure on the boulevard
Is that life is just a house of cards
As fragile as each and every breath
Of this boy sleepin’ in our bed”
Life is fragile when you’re baby boy. Life is fragile.
“It’s been along long drought baby
Tonight the rain’s pourin’ down on our roof
Looking for a little bit of God’s mercy”