Since Sara was born, October 7 is no longer just a national tragedy in my eyes. It has become a father’s deepest fear. In this post, I reflect on how parenthood changed the way I think about that terrible day, the babies who were harmed, and the parents who faced the unimaginable. This is a deeply personal story about fatherhood, love, fear, trauma, and the struggle to comprehend a reality that no parent should ever have to endure.
Tag: single father
A Single Father, a Baby and the Sound of Sirens
What does war look like through the eyes of a single father raising a five-month-old baby?
For Yaniv, a 52-year-old single father, the answer lies somewhere between nighttime feedings, air-raid sirens, and repeated trips to a safe room. As the war disrupts the fragile routine he has built with his daughter Sara, sleep becomes a luxury and survival becomes a matter of adaptation.
In this deeply personal reflection, Yaniv shares one exhausting night that captures the reality of parenting during wartime: the constant interruptions, the accumulating fatigue, and the quiet determination to keep going despite it all.
At the heart of the story is a simple hope shared by parents everywhere—that their children will one day inherit a safer world than the one they were born into.
A Lesser Child of GOD | How Sara Changed My Relationship with God, Faith, and Myself
For years, I blamed God for everything that was missing from my life—my failures, my loneliness, and the feeling that no matter how hard I tried, my prayers went unanswered. As my frustration grew, I abandoned traditional prayer and replaced it with daily conversations with God, hoping He would eventually listen.
Everything changed when I began my surrogacy journey. For the first time, my prayers were no longer about me. They were about the child I longed to bring into the world. During four years of waiting, I prayed for a healthy baby, a safe birth, and the chance to become the father she deserved.
When Sara was finally born, healthy and unmistakably my daughter, something inside me changed. For the first time in my life, I felt that my most important prayer had been answered. Since then, prayer has become a daily ritual, gratitude has replaced resentment, and fatherhood has given me a sense of purpose, belonging, and love that I never thought possible.
I am no longer a lesser child of God.
Sara vs. the Red Hot Chili Peppers | A strange and rare moment in the bond between a father and his baby daughter
Sometimes the bond between a parent and a baby feels deeper than we can explain. One quiet evening during Passover, something small and unusual happened between me and my baby daughter Sara—something that has stayed with me ever since.
The Heart I Left in the Cradle: A Single Father’s Reflections on Paternity Leave, Love, and Returning to Work
A single father reflects on five unforgettable months of paternity leave with his daughter Sara — and the emotional moment of returning to work.
Robosara | When an Exhausted Dad Dreams of a Baby With an Off Switch
A very tired father imagines a revolutionary invention: Robosara — a baby with built-in buttons that can stop crying, trigger sleep, and save parents everywhere from endless sleepless nights.
Infantilism | Growing Up at 52, Together With My Daughter
In this personal reflection, I admit something I’ve never been ashamed of: emotionally, I’ve been stuck somewhere around the age of twelve. Strangely enough, that same childish side now helps me connect deeply with my baby daughter, Sara. But years from now, when she reaches the age of twelve herself, will that still bring us closer—or will she be embarrassed by the father who never quite grew up? Maybe, just maybe, that moment will become a turning point for both of us.
Sara’s First War | Holding My Baby in a Safe Room During Rocket Sirens
A personal essay about air-raid sirens, a safe room, and a first-time father trying to maintain normalcy for his four-month-old daughter during war. Written in real time, between sirens, as fear, responsibility, and love collide.
Goodbye to Old Yaniv | How Becoming a Father at 52 Changed My Life
A personal reflection on letting go of a solitary life and embracing fatherhood at 52. From old habits and private passions to new priorities shaped by becoming a single father, this is a story about change, loss, and unexpected fulfillment.
Who’s the Boss? | Life With a Baby Who Runs the House
A humorous take on life with a four-month-old who knows exactly what she wants, one very tired dad, and the nightly realization of who really runs the house.
