Thinking Out Loud, Volume CDXLIX

Some days I feel good....like I'm on top of the world. Then there are days when I feel like the world is on top of me and I'm nothing but a loser. I must say though that when it seems like everything I do is wrong, all I have to do is look at my two kids and I have to admit that I did some things right. I often think back to the days before our kids came along and marvel at how different our lifestyle was then, compared to the way it became once we became parents. When I see young couples who are expecting their first child, I say to myself, "Their whole world is about to change." One of the first things people usually mention when a new baby appears on the scene is the loss of freedom, and that is definitely a factor, but as far as I'm concerned, the positives drastically outweigh the negatives. There is no doubt in my mind that I'm a better man today because of my kids. I'll never forget that day when our first one was born and how suddenly my entire mindset changed. I became a more careful driver, because of such fragile, precious cargo. I became more aware of my actions and the things I say, because there were some little eyes watching and some little ears hearing everything I did and said. The weight of the awesome responsibility I had suddenly made itself known as I realized it was up to me which direction this new little life would take, and it would be determined more by the way I lived than by the words I spoke. Would my kids grow up serving God and loving their fellow man? I could've preached that to them every day of their lives, but until they saw me practicing what I preached, it would've had little impact on them. The interaction between their mother and myself was, in their minds, the norm. The way Charlie saw me treating his mother was the only example he had as to how to treat his wife. Valerie grew up expecting her husband to treat her the same way I treated her mother. When Charlie was a little boy, I would take him to big sporting events, and I spent a lot of time with him playing ball, etc., and it warms my heart when I now see him doing the same with his son. I'll never forget a note Valerie wrote to her mother one day, saying she wanted to take piano lessons, because she wanted to sing and play like her daddy. (How is it that I taught Charlie to play golf and Valerie to sing, and both of them are now so much better than I am?) There's a level of love that can't be explained when a new baby is added to a family. There's a reason I chose today as the day to write on this topic. I've already told you how Angie's and my world was rocked and how drastically our lives changed for the better when we became parents, and today, January 2, 2015, is a special anniversary of this event. For Angie and me, our lives were forever transformed, forty years ago today, with the birth of our first child. Happy birthday, Valerie! I am so proud of the woman you have become. You are beautiful both inside and out. It makes me so happy to see your walk with God, and your heart for the disadvantaged is almost beyond comparison. I love you in a way that only a daddy can love his little girl. This is going to be a big year for you and JC. Love, Dad. Preston