“There came a fear of not being able to handle it. I had a life to take care of. So I took off all my shame, I knelt down, and I talked to God.”
A young father, on his knees beside his newborn son’s cradle, is in prayer to God.
This is the scene that has thrilled thousands of internet users since it was shared on the social network Instagram by its own protagonist, Victor Calmon, 33, the father of little Ivan, born in July. The image, by photographer Jana Brazil, is from the same period but has resonance now because it was republished by several sites.
Victor wrote in the caption:
“That moment when the penny drops, when your hand shakes, and you really discover the reason for being in this world. To God I say thank you, to my wife I say I love you, and to my son I say welcome!”
Interviewed by Crescer magazine, Victor said that the gesture happened naturally.
“I found myself in a complicated situation, you know, where everything was new, and there was a fear of not being able to handle it. After all, I wouldn’t just worry about myself anymore; I had a life to take care of. So I stripped away all my shame, knelt down, and prayed to God, asking Him to help me evolve, to be a better man, a better father, a better husband, and to make me more willing to grow, to work, and to leave nothing behind.”
The blessing of having a child is making Vitor and his wife Luana deal well with their natural fears for the sake of the baby. Complete it:
“I don’t have time for myself anymore. In addition to working, whenever I can, I help my wife Luana to bathe and change diapers. But it’s all worth it when I get home and see Ivan’s smile!”