So true, nothing prepares you for being a parent. I read all the books and got all the stuff but when I first met my two sons , all of that just got replaced by something much deeper. Such an experience. My mother always told me that life really starts when you have children and I have learned so much about myself and life since becoming a father. I know exactly what you mean about seeing life anew. I remember showing my eldest a cow for the first time and I think I was more amazed than he was because I saw it in a whole new light. My sons are literally my best friends and I strive to spend as much quality time a possible with them.
Awesome though provoking post Mate