It's no secret birth can be an intensely beautiful (albeit painful) experience for women. And even though it's undoubtedly different for new dads, the journey is still equally life-changing. That is why a recent Facebook post, written by William Battle is going viral. In it, the Dallas, Texas, dad calls his wife a "miracle" for giving birth to their son, and has managed to touch the hearts of thousands with his heartfelt words.
William and wife Lauren recently welcomed their second son in November. Even though this was his second time around, William was awestruck by his wife.
"I honestly don’t know how she did it," William wrote in his November 18 Facebook post. "The pain was so intense, so overwhelming, that even I felt it."
"Everyone in the room felt it," he continued. "Yet she pulled through."
According to William, it was almost as if he could feel every little pinch and push she went through.
"I found myself gritting my teeth when she did, tensing my entire body when her contractions hit, and shedding tears along with her," he explained. "All while realizing that I was merely a passenger, never to truly understand the excruciating pain she was experiencing.
"She gave her labor every ounce of life and energy she had in her," he continued. "And then gave a little bit more. And through it all, at the end of it she selflessly gave all of us a glimpse into what she has been enjoying exclusively to herself for the past 9 months."
When all is said and done, his wife's sacrifice of her "body, comfort, energy, and self" finally gave them their boy Roman.
"My son is an absolute miracle," he declared. "Babies are absolute miracles. But to me, the greater miracle is his mother, who has shown me what selfless sacrifice really is. What love really is. My wife is the real miracle."
William later explained that he was inspired to pen the tribute after watching his wife nursing little Roman.
Soon after he posted it to Facebook, William's story took off. To date, it's been shared more than 48,000 times.
Speaking with Parents magazine, William added how amazed he was by his wife's ability to push through those bleary first few days after their son was born.
"She had barely slept a wink in almost two days, and I know she was exhausted and in pain," he shared. "But you couldn't tell. It’s as if holding our son took away all the pain, all the fear, all the anxiety.
"Nothing else at that moment mattered to her, and I knew just from looking at her that she would have gone through it all again for him," William continued. "I’ve never seen such love, such strength, from anyone like that before."
Although everyone seemed to focus on the baby, William said he just couldn't stop thinking about his wife.
Of course, he understood that his son was well-deserving of all the attention that he received.
"Understandably, he’s gorgeous and needed medical supervision," William explained. "But my attention was on her. She’d never looked more beautiful to me. My love and respect for her and what she went through for him was so great that the words in that post just overflowed from my heart.
"The post simply came from a desire to pay homage to the most incredible woman I know, and I’m so thankful that my words have touched so many lives because of it," he added.
Ultimately, William said that he hopes other dads will take note of his appreciation.
"Dive into your partner’s world," he advised. "Try everything you can to appreciate the sacrifices they make for your children. Compassion and empathy are necessary if you are to truly love your partner. So be present, be engaged, and be grateful. You might discover along the way that this was the missing ingredient you needed in order to truly have a joyful marriage that lasts a lifetime."
