Today? Yes, today was one of those days. We have all had them. Nothing seems to go right, you can’t seem to get motivated, and all you want to do is go home to your family. That was my day today. I’m not going to go any further on that note. Let’s skip to the fun stuff!
I finally got home to the family, and I was ready to unwind. The wife had some things to do, I had to wake Caleb up from his nap (a task for only a strong man), and I really couldn’t wait to have them both downstairs so we could play and get our sillies out. I have found that it is always good to just get down on their level, and get your sillies out. If you haven’t tried it, then do it! You won’t be sorry.
After getting Caleb up and bringing him downstairs came the game of quickly entertaining before the grouchies set in. Nobody likes a three year old with the grouchies. Calm comes across the living room finally, and it’s time to get geared up for serious play time. Only thing is, I am tired, I am drained, and I can barely stay sitting up on the couch. Then I caught a glimpse of what my kids were up to in the short time that I was tweeting about my laziness. They were quietly playing separately, back to back, and both smiling away. It was such beauty, such magic in catching that moment in my eyes. A memory forever to be engraved in my mind as an image of innocence.
As always, I take a moment to think about what I just witnessed, and reflect on the beauty of childhood. I know we all want to be engaged with our children, we want to be involved. There is definitely nothing wrong with it. Sometimes though, it is good to just step back and watch. At a time when my body was wearing out and when I was feeling my roughest, I just stepped back, and watched. Seeing that moment, my two little kiddos, my world and my heart, made all my pain go away. My mind was full of thoughts of them, my heart beat strong with love for them. I smiled, I think I even laughed out loud. A simple time when the role was reversed and I wasn’t the one trying to bring a smile to their face. They didn’t have to try, and I will be smiling for days
The simple things can be the biggest memories. Little things we may miss if we don’t take the time to just step back every now and then. You can be the dad your children need you to be and you can be the dad you want to be. Your children will be grateful for your efforts, I can assure you. Just remember though, your children are their own. They are little individuals, with separate feelings, separate likes and dislikes. Sometimes just letting them be them, they become the children we hope they will be, and much, much more. They become heroes of our days, with just a simple smile.
