The Father's Growth of Joy & Responsibility Nikolay Yelizarov
By Ryan Andrew Mitchell The Afro News Vancouver
Nikolay Yelizarov and his wife started off with a daughter that changed their lives forever, but little did they know that a surprise was brewing years later when they had twins, one boy and one girl.
“Two is better than one.” Nikolay exclaimed.
Even though the twins, Alex and Cat, were born during a time when the family was moving between countries, he mentions they could have not come at a better time. He came to Canada to further pursue in the medical field.
“He treats us like lab experiments” Alex jokes, who is now a twenty-two year, specializing in photography career.
Nikolay believes that big families have the best opportunities to gain support. He grew up with an extended family, and notes the abundance of love that went into the family. He puts it into perspective, “One of the worse things that can happen for someone is to be lonely, so the more love you have around, the better your life will be and the more grateful you will be; The bigger the family the more fun.”
Nikolay emphasizes how critical it is for someone to endure obstacles in life, in order for them to truly understand the high points. “Life isn’t just a journey of joy it is also a, it is also a long journey of instability; One can only acknowledge joy when they have seen the down times.” He also states, “If Fatherhood doesn’t kill you, it will make you stronger.”
He noted the challenges in Fatherhood and how one has to face up to them, “In life, when you see a challenge, you always adapt but when you do, make sure that it is positive change not a negative one. “
Nikolay warns about the idea of a ‘perfect child,’ not only from a medical perspective, but from the child’s point of view. Throughout sports leagues and musical pursuits, the parent can’t lose the young child’s interest, and too much pressure on the child can put a burden on the parent to child relationship.
Yelizarov notes the advantages for twins, “I believe two children are always better than one, it’s important for children to have friends close to their age. When I look at Cat and Alex, and can see that they are close, and have more to relate to each other.”
Recently, Elena had a child, which turned Nikolay into a Grandfather. He mentions this gave him great joy, but he states the consistency that a Father has to understand and work towards, “You are not just working for joy, you are working for responsibility, and one can only mature when he receives more responsibility.”
