Parents and Children

Okay, here's the deal.

I like to think that I am a good parent.  I try to do all the things I can to be a Dad that my kids like being around.  Sure I complain that the only time I hear from my son's is when they need something like gas money or food, but we all know that isn't entirely true.
Corey lives with us now, and it has been great, I really enjoy having him there, and actually I wish he was actually around more, he is busy with school, work, and GTL (minus the tanning, and I haven't really witnessed him do any laundry yet).  The time that he is around is awesome, I hope he feels the same way.
I still miss Joey like crazy, he is just about done with baseball, and college for that matter, he student teaches this fall, which on a tangent, why do I have to pay a college for 12 credit hours while my son is nowhere near the campus, teaching at a high school?  I would think DCSD should pay him for teaching, and the college would not get anymore of my cash, but I digress.
Keara still really pays attention when she needs help with something like the computer, which is funny, because her lack of patience, and my apparent slowness when it comes to fixing whatever she feels is broken, usually leads to her developing her own workaround.
So back to me being a Dad, I want the kids to look up to me as a parent and learn from all the things I have done, be them good or bad, and reflect on those lessons when I am lucky enough to be a Grandparent.  I want my parents to know that I learned from them in this way, and there are many times when I ask myself "How would Mom handle this?", or "What would Dad do?", and then do the opposite....  HA HA, just kidding Mom and Dad, you did a great job, and you are still on the clock, so keep it up.

Now, let's flip the coin, I hope that I have done all that I could do to be a good kid.  Yes I said kid, I refuse to grow up.  This shows in many, MANY ways.  I am and will always be a kid at heart.  Logic states things like, you shouldn't wear shorts in the winter, but if you look closely, there is some nut-bag standing outside in the snow, barbequeing in shorts and a hoody.  Yea, that's me.  Don't blame yourself Mom or Dad, I came up with that all by myself.

We look ready for a Curly from the 3 Stooges Look alike contest.

I guess the best lesson I have learned and wish to share with anyone who cares to listen, is to love deeply and consistently.  There is plenty of room to be a parent, (i.e. bad guy), when it comes to making someone clean their room, (Yea I know Mom, my room was always a mess and Karma is paying me back!  I get it), but parent with love and understanding.  This is something I can illustrate through the love I have for my Mom.  Quite a while ago, she was diagnosed with cancer.  Through everything she has been great.  I am somewhat of a sounding board for her, and listen to what she has to say on bad and good days, she does the same for me.  My point is, this was in place long before any diagnosis, treatment, remission, etc.  I remember one time my Mom saying something to the effect of  "Everyone is making such a fuss over me now", and I told her, not me, I have fussed over her for as long as I could fuss.  I am proud to say that I love the people in my life the same every day, not just when something good or bad happens. Living and loving this way leads to having a reduced amout of regret down the road.  Not that I live life regret free, cause that surely is not the case, but I have learned that I can control some of those things and do my best to show that as a kid, and a parent.

So I will take the opportunity to say Happy Mothers Day to My Mom Charlene, My amazing Wife Kim, Elsa, Mary, and my ex-wife Laurie who gave me a reason to celebrate Fathers Day.

Which leads me to the fact that around Mother's day the ad's from the store are as thick as a Christmas catalog filled with jewelry, clothes, flowers, etc., and at Fathers day it like a flyer with stupid ties, t-shirts, and BBQ tools. 

Just Sayin.

Peace,
Woody