Simple Blessings- revised

   “I’m going to go to some garage sales this morning, do you want me to take Alexis to school?” my wife inquired causing me to stir from my night’s slumber. “Sure,” I mumbled incoherently back to her as I turned back over in hopes I could steal a few more minutes of sleep before starting my hectic schedule for the day. What I didn’t know was that my 2 year old son, Micah, had just awoken and thus the start of my day was thrust upon me. After getting him something to eat for breakfast and indulging in my second cup of coffee, I decided it was time to knock out some work while he was playing outside and it was still relatively quiet in the living room.

   About the time I had become completely engrossed in my work, I heard the back screen door open and Micah’s voice echoed through the kitchen, “Daddy, Daddy, come see what I found!” His intentions were innocent and wanted to capture my attention. Being stubborn and caught up in my work, I replied with a pathetic, “In a minute.” About five minutes later, the door opened again and was followed by the sound of uncoordinated feet hopping across the floor. My peripheral vision immediately caught the silhouette of my son bounding towards me and before I could respond, he was airborne and landed abruptly next to me. Without hesitation he eagerly announced in my left ear “Daddy! Guess what? I found something!” Normally about this time I would’ve become agitated because he was interrupting my work, but something inside told me to just chill.
   As I put my laptop down and turned, my son’s piercing blue eyes captivated my attention. Knowing he had my confirmation, he thrust out his tiny hand that was balled in a fist. “What did you find?” I asked. Micah opened his hand and shouted, “A tatterpillar!” He had been terrified of insects for the longest time and to observe a large caterpillar in his hand was impressive. A smile immediately radiated across my face as I flashed back to a time when my father and I spent hours hunting for bugs in our backyard. It was amazing how that memory could still impact me so many years later as an adult.
   “Wow buddy that’s really cool! Where’d you find it?” I inquired and without missing a beat, my 2 year old sprung to his feet, grabbed my hand and led me to the pecan tree in the backyard. We spent the next hour together searching for bugs and building a bond. Work could wait; this is one project I didn’t want to miss.
   If I were to ever have an epiphany, this experience was mine. The magnitude of this paradigm shift would’ve set off a seismograph. All of the things, of little or no substance, I had ever invested in prior to that day, instantly lost their luster. Moments like this would be etched forever in my son’s mind. I knew that I needed to make an immediate change or face the grim reality that my actions would alter my children’s development and perception of their father.
   No college course could’ve ever prepared me for success in the business of my children and how to invest in their futures. The best experience I’ve received to become a successful father, was through those of my childhood and seeing the love and sacrifices my parents made by pouring into me and my siblings. They went out of their way to invest into our lives and ensure that we had a solid foundation to build on. One phrase I’ve heard often and try to live by is “we can’t change the past, but we can change the future by the choices we make today.” There are many instances as parents where we’ve completely missed the mark and failed miserably, but it’s not how many times you fall down, it’s how many times you get back up and try, try again.