I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day on this beautiful Friday morning!
My heart is so full this morning. I am blessed beyond measure and I am completely aware of this fact. This morning I am going to briefly share something that happened in my life two weeks ago and then I am going to share a couple of short stories, a quote and the link to a music video. The simple point I want to drive home this morning is that it truly is an honor to be a Dad.
Two weeks ago tomorrow my 10-year old Tender Warrior, Landry, and I went to the Houston Rodeo - just he and I. We got to the rodeo and walked through all of the exhibits. Right away we bought him a cowboy hat and then, a little later, one for me too so we could have matching cowboy hats. I let him decide where we would go, what we would look at, how long we would stay, etc. He petted and fed hay to the cows that were a part of the livestock show - the look on his face was priceless as one licked his arm, its entire tongue wrapping around his arm.
For lunch he had a sausage on a stick and I had a barbeque sandwich. We stood and talked about the rodeo, what else we wanted to do, etc. as we ate. We shared a sweet tea, enjoyed our conversation, neither of us in a hurry.
We were then off to the rodeo. We had great seats and thoroughly enjoyed each event. We cheered for all the cowboys & cowgirls and gasped as one cowboy was nearly kicked in the head by a horse. Mutton Bustin' (little boys & girls riding on the backs of sheep) brought great laughs.
After the rodeo it was Cole Swindell live in concert. We sang - thankfully it was so loud nobody could hear our voices! - and cheered for Cole. He gained two new fans that night.
After the concert we headed back to the exhibit hall so Landry could make his own rope. It was really neat how they did it - he got to choose the three strands and then he & I stood some distance apart spinning the wheels they had to intertwine the strands to form the rope.
By the time we left we had been at the rodeo for nearly 10 hours. Neither one of us felt tired. We talked and talked all the way home, replaying the events of the day together. He must of told me 100 times that night, as well as the next day, how much he enjoyed our time at the rodeo, how grateful he truly was for our time together. I told him I felt the same. The thing that struck me, over & over again, was that he always said, "I enjoyed my time with you." It was the time that he valued & treasured, not the hat, the food, the rope, etc. It was the time. I was keenly aware of the words he was speaking into the deep recesses of my heart and I felt the profound honor of being his Dad.
Dads matter...greatly! Somewhere along the line it sadly became ok, and even funny, to minimize the impact a Dad can have in the life of a child. Many men, perhaps fearing failure, never even try to embrace this sacred privilege. I think a large part of it is really a defense mechanism - if we have no expectations, there can be no disappointments, or so the reasoning goes. This however does not change a few simple facts:
1. It is an honor to be a Dad.
2. Dad's are critically important in the lives of their children.
3. Whether "good" or "bad," Dad's have a profound impact on the lives of their children.
I want to share two short stories, one quote and the link to a video of a song. Please humor me - read the short stories, the quote and go watch the YouTube video.
Charles Francis Adams, the 19th century political figure and diplomat, kept a diary. One day he entered: "Went fishing with my son today--a day wasted." His son, Brook Adams, also kept a diary, which is still in existence. On that same day, Brook Adams made this entry: "Went fishing with my father--the most wonderful day of my life!" The father thought he was wasting his time while fishing with his son, but his son saw it as an investment of time. The only way to tell the difference between wasting and investing is to know one's ultimate purpose in life and to judge accordingly.
Silas Shotwell, in Homemade, September, 1987
There's a Spanish story of a father and son who had become estranged. The son ran away, and the father set off to find him. He searched for months to no avail. Finally, in a last desperate effort to find him, the father put an ad in a Madrid newspaper. The ad read: Dear Paco, meet me in front of this newspaper office at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you. Your Father. On Saturday 800 Pacos showed up, looking for forgiveness and love from their fathers.
Bits & Pieces, October 15, 1992, p. 13.
"My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me." - Jim Valvano
And here is the link to the video, You Should Be Here, by Cole Swindell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8WlCqZPTeg
You see Friends, it is about presence. If you have the honor of being a Dad know this, your kids want you.
Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your families. I will always help you any way I can. You can contact me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.
Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families.
Kev
