Fathers Day – At the risk of stating the obvious, I LOVE being a dad! Like most parents I am extremely passionate about my kids. With Father’s Day coming up this week, I have been more reflective than usual about how fortunate I am to be a parent.
I have been blessed with two amazing and very different children. Heather, my first born, is the hardest working kid I have ever seen. Sports have always come naturally to Heather. Shortly after learning to ride a bike she was riding it down the street standing on the seat, like it was the most natural thing in the world. She graduated from high school this year and after entertaining offers from several universities, signed a letter of intent to play soccer for in the fall for Rogers State University. Jeremy, a high school sophomore next fall, is our resident computer whiz and percussionist. He runs Linux on his laptop, is taking a C++ programming class (online of course) this summer, and for his Spanish class project designed a business website entirely in Spanish. When Jeremy isn’t banging on his laptop keyboard he is banging on his trap set.
Let me be clear. My kids have their faults like everyone and they test my patience from time to time. But they are so much more than I could ever deserve. I think I appreciate them all the time but with Father’s Day looming on the horizon, I am especially cognizant of my good fortune.
I received a disturbing email from my good friend Reece today. His email was to let me know that his 18 month old daughter Rachel passed away yesterday. Reece’s email literally took my breath away and broke my heart. This crusty, middle-aged accountant’s eyes welled-up as I empathized with the loss Reece and his family are experiencing. I cannot fathom the pain that they must be experiencing and will not understand this side of heaven why such a tragedy has occurred.
There is something unnatural about a parent burying a child. I was reminded of this recently when I watched the movie, The Ultimate Gift again. (If you haven’t seen this film, you should. After 3+ months, it is still showing in a limited number of theaters. It will be released on DVD 8/21/07) In the film the Red Stevens, portrayed in the film by James Garner, who buried his own son many years ago, explains to his grandson the heartache of having a child precede the parent in death. As if to emphasize that point, 12-year old Emily, portrayed by Acadamey Award nominee Abigail Breslin, dies later in the film. If you can watch this movie without dabbing away the tears, you may have something in common with the Wizard of Oz's Tinman. I pray that you and I never personally know the experience of burying a child.
If you are as nuts about your kids as I am about mine, the week of Fathers Day is the perfect time to tell them. Take time out from all the hustle and bustle of work and summertime vacations to spend personal time with your children. Tell them you love them. Hug them. Thank God for them. And take a minute to say a little prayer for my friend Reece and his family.
What are you passionate about? What are you doing about it?
I have been blessed with two amazing and very different children. Heather, my first born, is the hardest working kid I have ever seen. Sports have always come naturally to Heather. Shortly after learning to ride a bike she was riding it down the street standing on the seat, like it was the most natural thing in the world. She graduated from high school this year and after entertaining offers from several universities, signed a letter of intent to play soccer for in the fall for Rogers State University. Jeremy, a high school sophomore next fall, is our resident computer whiz and percussionist. He runs Linux on his laptop, is taking a C++ programming class (online of course) this summer, and for his Spanish class project designed a business website entirely in Spanish. When Jeremy isn’t banging on his laptop keyboard he is banging on his trap set.
Let me be clear. My kids have their faults like everyone and they test my patience from time to time. But they are so much more than I could ever deserve. I think I appreciate them all the time but with Father’s Day looming on the horizon, I am especially cognizant of my good fortune.
I received a disturbing email from my good friend Reece today. His email was to let me know that his 18 month old daughter Rachel passed away yesterday. Reece’s email literally took my breath away and broke my heart. This crusty, middle-aged accountant’s eyes welled-up as I empathized with the loss Reece and his family are experiencing. I cannot fathom the pain that they must be experiencing and will not understand this side of heaven why such a tragedy has occurred.
There is something unnatural about a parent burying a child. I was reminded of this recently when I watched the movie, The Ultimate Gift again. (If you haven’t seen this film, you should. After 3+ months, it is still showing in a limited number of theaters. It will be released on DVD 8/21/07) In the film the Red Stevens, portrayed in the film by James Garner, who buried his own son many years ago, explains to his grandson the heartache of having a child precede the parent in death. As if to emphasize that point, 12-year old Emily, portrayed by Acadamey Award nominee Abigail Breslin, dies later in the film. If you can watch this movie without dabbing away the tears, you may have something in common with the Wizard of Oz's Tinman. I pray that you and I never personally know the experience of burying a child.
If you are as nuts about your kids as I am about mine, the week of Fathers Day is the perfect time to tell them. Take time out from all the hustle and bustle of work and summertime vacations to spend personal time with your children. Tell them you love them. Hug them. Thank God for them. And take a minute to say a little prayer for my friend Reece and his family.
What are you passionate about? What are you doing about it?
1 comments:
What a great post! Scripture has repeatedly emphasized that children are a huge blessing from God. Unfortunately, I sometimes allow myself to get too caught up in the frustrations and annoyances of child-rearing (there are movies out that aren't animated?) to see the gifts. Thanks for reminding me to count my blessings! I'll try to remember than the next time Eli throws something in the toilet! :)
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