Contented
Posted: January 10, 2012 Filed under: Parenting, Spirituality, Thoughts 2 Comments »
credit: Flicker
I realized something yesterday. It was during a job interview process and the subsequent rejection that I realized something about myself. I’m not very hungry. What I mean by this is, I’m fairly content with the life and journey God has me living.
I’ve spent a lifetime trying to attain peace and contentment. It isn’t easy, and I’m not sure I’ve “arrived.” However, I’m much more content than I was 30+ years ago.
When my career was threatened a few years ago. I shrugged. That isn’t to say I wasn’t stressed and that it wasn’t a horrible situation – but I knew who I was, where I was going, and where my values lay. I wasn’t willing to sacrifice my family, my calling, or my convictions in order to satisfy someone who didn’t agree with me – no matter how powerful he was. It just wasn’t worth it. Next thing I knew, I was unemployed.
Dads Never Give Up – Always Be the Hero
Posted: January 7, 2012 Filed under: Parenting, Spirituality, Thoughts 2 Comments »
The cry of every kids heart...
Many parents underestimate their value. Because of their own fears, insecurities, and issues, they get wounded and hurt – then they pull away and retreat into their own little world. The problem is, kids need you. They absolutely need you to stand firm – no matter how hard it is, or how hurt you are.
Of course, parents are people too. As people, they have all the same issues as everyone else. But their role as a parent is so much bigger than themselves – all parents need to stay in the game – no matter the cost. It is no longer a choice.
“It is no longer a choice.”
The other day I was talking to a friend who was sharing some struggles regarding his adult children. I listened, I didn’t try to fix, but I did make sure I understood the struggle. While I don’t have adult kids, I was once an adult who needed his Dad very much. I had done virtually everything I could to run away from my parents. I was obnoxious. I was a punk. I turned my back on their morals and standards. I didn’t call them very much. But I still needed them – especially my Dad.
Adolescents and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
Posted: December 31, 2011 Filed under: Parenting, Spirituality, Thoughts 2 Comments »
I remember being 19. It was heady. I knew everything, had no fear, and I saw life as full of opportunity. I was anxious to explore freedom and couldn’t wait to get away from the chains that held me back. I actually thought I was smarter than everyone else. I was not open to advice, and I couldn’t wait to make my mark. My only restriction, as I saw it, was money. If I just had a good cash flow, I would slay any dragon put before me.
Now, 30 years removed from that time, I’m watching someone I love very much make decisions based on a similar worldview. I am grieving the future loss of his innocence.
When I was 19, I knew I could try out some of my dreams, and if they didn’t work out, I’d just step back into my old life and continue on as if nothing had changed. The problem with that thinking? Everything changed.
Over the course of the next five years of my life, by the time I was 25, I had acquired experiences that changed me forever; I was enveloped by addictions that I still wrestle with, and some of my actions disqualified me for some of my current dreams. I can’t go back, I can’t go home again, and because of those few years of my life, I’m no longer innocent. I’ve tasted the forbidden fruit – and I’ll never be the same.
”disobedience and lack of trust that changed her”
