"New Day"

At least one year has past since my last post.  Change is inevitable, but for the time being, my family is intact and all under one roof for the summer (2014).  To my children, watch, listen, pay attention to the details.  Enjoy the moment and the people in your lives for they have an abundance to share.  Be open to the experience you gain, and not the material things you might be searching for.  For the treasures you seek are in the moment, and not what you put in your pockets.  You are both in a special place where you are allow to be a little selfish about your lives, but not in a manner that you become self absorbed in your possessions that others suffer.  Find the passion that stirs your soul, and that motivates you to wake up in the morning hungry for more.  Watch for the symbols that other have planted along your journey as a road map for your own lives. Learn from others, both good and bad, and more importantly be prepared to carry on your own experience in song, in words or in your actions for the future.  Find time to give back.  Lastly, remember time does not sit still like a log.  It is always changing, always moving and always evolving, like you.  Carpe Diem, seize the moment.

Love,

Dad 

advise to my daughter two

Be flexible to change.  Be open to other opinions.  Most importantly, take chances in learning. 

advise to my daughter one

Regardless what you chose in life, alway chose.  Having an opinion is as important as the understanding perspective. 

advise to my sone two

If you dont bait your hook, you will never catch fish.

Advise to my son one

If you make her feel good, you almost guarantee you will feel good

"Perspective is everything"

August 9, 2011

Raising children can be a challenging and rewarding experience. Raising two teenage people, basically young adults can be absolutely frightening. Will they make the right choices? Will they stay out of trouble? How will they handle this situation? I hope they come to me with questions… are just a few things that parents ask and wish about their own namesake’s.

It is always a beautiful thing when your children come to you with an experience and you see the light bulb turn on above their heads.

It’s even better when their experience is done in a totally safe environment. “It’s all about perspective,” I told my teenage children after the wife and I came home from a weekend as a “couple.” I can’t believe grandma said this; I can’t believe grandpa did that. “Now I know why you get mad Dad when I…” “I am so glad you are home.” “I just stayed in my room all day.” “I couldn’t even go across the street.”

I told both my teenage children while discussing the weekend’s experiences around the dinner table, “Don’t discount what you have until you have a chance to share in another’s experience.”

“Sometimes what you have ain’t that bad.”

Life in a nutshell for my teenage children was this weekend. It emphasized the importance of understanding my “parental” perspective, their “teenage” perspective and the perspective of other people in their lives. The importance of getting along with others who were raised differently, act differently, have different belief systems and have different “perspectives” and “experiences” from life.

As teachers say, “that was a teachable moment, “ and there was a whole lot of learning going on.

Dad when you were my age…

I have two kids. One, who without effort is the “A” type personality who wants to “get it done” and has a “do it her way” attitude. The other, much more easy going, nothing bothers him, there’s always the “tomorrow” philosophy to life. Guess which one occupies more of my time? You got it, the Kenny Chesney, Margaritaville child that I love so much.

What is more frustrating is he has the true potential to be a successful high achiever. If he put just as much effort into putting in the hard work, as he does “taking it easy,” I would be a happy camper. Who am I to complain though, the apple does not fall far from the tree. Just goes to show, it is not what you say, but what you do that rubs off on your children.

I guess I should not be disappointed. In the clutch, he did pull off an “A” in a summer school biology class he is taking so he can “coast” during his sophomore year in high school. He was actually the “curve” for the class.

Happy daze.