So it begins, and in turn something ends. I am standing at the cusp between young manhood and young fatherhood. No longer will I be just responsible for myself and my wife, but soon also a new innocent newborn child. My wife and I are not sure if the child is a boy or a girl. Whatever gender my child is I know that I will love this child.
I don't know if this is psychological or biological. I can imagine that there must be a combination of both, otherwise I don't think we could have come as far as have. If we had no prolonged period of growth and learning, and started our lives running, fending off for ourselves.
I love this child and I don't know why. Certainties not because with each child comes a lifetime of commitment and care. Is it because my wife gave our growing child a cute nick name? The nick name of our child is monchhichi, our child is going to be born in the year of the monkey. I don't think that would be the reason, although I love to say the nickname as I speak into my wife's burgeoning belly, anticipating a response from our child. It sure is not because I know that I have no control over what the child does when he/she gets older, and I have to hope that they know and have the strength to do what is right.
I think it must be something more primal. I think it has to do with being part of the human fabric as it has woven itself over the past 20+ millennia. I know, that with this child, some of my genes will be out there. Also I will have someone who I can show my values and morals to and hope that will be spread to the future. I hope that there will be a future where my child and his/her children and their children can live happily and remember me by pouring down wine in honor of me. I think having children allows us more time on that human fabric then we were allotted. Because future generations will remember their ancestors.
I think as long as you are remembered or thought of you still have a place in the fabric. Your thread in the weave of the human fabric is not cut until the last person who remembers you breathes their last breath.

Enough digression.

This love for our child is so hard to explain. There are so many reasons that conspire to make this bond of love. Emotional or biological, there is no clear cut side where I think could explain, this unconditional love with something that I have yet to see directly with my own two eyes.

I think this is the closest thing to faith that this atheist has ever believed.