Once in a while I think about what my life would be like without my family. I think about all the time I would have ... all the things I could get done ... the impact I could have on the world if I set my mind on something great. You know what? The impact I can have on the world pales in comparison to the impact I can have on the people close to me, especially my kids. Being a parent - and a husband - is the best thing. It is also the most satisfying.
Most of my energy is spent doing things I must do rather than things I want to do. When I get home, it is hard to remember that these people I share a house with are the reason for which I do all those other things. Over the years I have developed the practice of trying to notice, every day, something that is different about each of my two children. I rarely fail to find something, whether it is physical or mental. It could be that they have grown taller, or that they have developed some skill, or used a word they never used before. Lately I have tried to apply this to my other relationships as well, particularly my marriage. It's more difficult when it comes to adults, but it's not impossible, especially if I dig by having conversation with the person.
Being a husband and a parent is a lot of work. Being a parent means missing out on things i want to do for the sake of things I wouldn't have done if I had a choice but which sometimes (ironically) turn out to be the happiest moments of my life. I never know when they are going to say or do something that makes me smile. It could be while I am changing a diaper, or cleaning up after spilled food, or when I am yelling at them. (That last sounds worse than it is.)
Change and the unexpected. These are the things to be feared before they happen, and embraced after. Hey, that's pretty good - you can quote me on that!
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