Wednesday, October 12, 2011

First and Foremost...

the thing my kids should know is that I love them dearly. My purpose in life is best defined as the strongest supporter of their hopes and dreams, and it is my duty to supply them with the tools and training to achieve whatever success they want. This does not mean I will supply every tool, but I will teach them to adapt new tools from mastered tools, because a thriving life comes from adaptability.

Although I have strived for perfection, I hope my kids know that their dad is flawed. I've taught them how to lose their temper, and we argue, frequently, but it beats not being able to express yourself. To many, saying "I'm sorry" is a sign of weakness, but if you find people you sincerely want to work with (and I sincerely want to keep a thriving relationship with my kids), it's important to keep everybody's ego in check, especially your own. "I'm sorry" simply states the willingness to understand a misunderstanding, even if it means standing your ground and disagreeing with another perspective.

This may seem over the heads of many children, but for my own kids, I say, "I love you very much. We may not always be happy with each other, but I will always seek common ground with you because of how important you are to me." What else are we going to learn on this journey? Let's see...