Love Them, Cherish Them
Building independence, relationships, and unique memories with your children.
The gift and the challenge? More time with my kids than most dads get. Days filled with them. It's a blast.
Diapers, potty training, sticky fingers, the easy stuff. Expected. A privilege, really.
But here's what I'm learning: Undivided attention. Presence. That's the hard part. The part that fades.
We walk. Parks, trails, anywhere but inside. They love it. S'mores, impromptu campsites, boats on the horizon, Florida beaches (no walking next to Florida freshwater for this dad, gators!). We read. We play hard. My oldest is discovering the magic of computers.
Mornings with my daughter. Just us. Quiet. Books. Connection. Then her brother wakes, and the day explodes with breakfast, more books, more play.
Knowledge, manners, a little discipline, and a lot of fun. That's the legacy.
But even with all this time, there's still work. Responsibilities. "Papa needs to work." "Papa, don't you want to play with me?" The hardest lesson: balance. Teaching them independence when all they want is connection.
The reminder: Even when life gets crazy, make the moments count. Be there. Truly be there. And trust that when I can't, they'll know it's not about them. It's about the work.
Love them. Cherish them.
Until the next one.
J
