I’m an older first time father, a late bloomer dad, a more senior sire. Our son was born when I was age 49, and our daughter arrived three years later.

While I’ve discovered over this past decade of parenting that becoming a father in the maturity of midlife has proved to be a distinct advantage for me, I certainly didn’t always think so.

At first I was scared. I didn’t know whether to celebrate by jumping for joy or leaping from the nearest cell phone tower. Would I have the stamina, regret my loss of freedom, live long enough, remember my math?

But the most terrifying and persistent fear I harbored was: Would the world mistake me for grandpa? […]