Dear Camille,
As I thumb through the photographs that I carry with me always in my briefcase, it's hard to fathom that the short haired, smiling baby holding a crawfish and wiggling its claws has turned into the beautiful goldilocks girl that demands the stage and wants so much to sing.
I feel like such a clich?-all those veteran parents telling us how quickly you would grow up, how it would be over before we know it, how we had best pay attention before it all ended.
They were right.
I can't believe you turned three.
I can't believe the seasons change so fast, the questions change so fast, though the answers seem so much alike.
I sit on airplanes and think of you often, what kind of stewardship do we offer, who truly teaches who, the empty feeling that hovers around me like a morning mist when we spend too much time apart.
I ponder the choices, the justifications, the selfishness that allows laziness to creep in, the myriad moments of ire that warrant only tenderness, the loss of control over small matters of tedium, the fragile balance between patience, guidance and the human condition that reveals its shadowy self in petty outbursts, orders and even shouting matches-the release valve that leaves ashes of hurt with little resolve.
What is my job?
Outside of protection from physical harm, I bob on this sea of life like a tiny cork in a hurricane, reaching within, seeking, trying to embrace and express, wondering how I might ever qualify to tell you or anyone how to live.
In the end, the old adage that the more we know the more we realize we don't know takes hold, anchors me to a journey of discovery and serves as a reminder that my conundrum evaporates if I focus on love, my role to baste you in it, wrap you up in a love cloud and cover you with a love blanket, that you may grow in love and let the other lessons flow to you and through you at your own pace.
This I can do, shrug off the coat of inadequacy and give you another hug, another kiss, another kind word, another minute when minutes run short, another chance, another smile, another deep breath to choke down the critic or the tyrant or the fictional pundit that so quickly jumps to judgment and wants to intervene.
No, father doesn't know best.
Father struggles to understand.
Father wrestles with his most important job.
Father tries so hard to heed his own counsel, to listen-both to the words and the unspoken, the undercurrents, the needs, the emotions that rage, then play, then rage, then rest, then come back to rage again.
Father cares-though the jumbled blend of empowerment, co-dependency, heart, guilt, duty, honor, passion and profound, profound affection sometimes do more to confuse than enlighten.
I guess we all tread the path, rain or shine, winter and summer, paved flat and mountainous, rocky trails.
Father loves.
Father loves you, with all my might, a job I relish.
As long as the ticker ticks, it will always tick for you.
Dada
That's A View From The Ridge?
Ridgely invites you to subscribe to A View From The Ridge, an inspirational column that goes out around the world each week. Please visit http://www.aviewfromtheridge.com to subscribe and email Ridgely personally at http://www.aviewfromtheridge.com.
executive chauffeured services Bradford .. Madison to Airport carChildren bombard parents with many challenging behaviours. We are delighted... Read More
Here is a top secret to make your child genius... Read More
A sure way to double the joys of parenthood is... Read More
Karen, a single never-married thirty-year old attorney has a four-year... Read More
Direct Answers - Column for the week of May 31,... Read More
"In general my children refuse to eat anything that hasn't... Read More
Parental Alienation Syndrome was probably first identified and codified by... Read More
Raising a pre-teen or teenage daughter (or son) is not... Read More
1. They are leaders as well as parents. They don't... Read More
So, the thing is? I am feeling a little guilty.I... Read More
How many times have you flipped through the pages of... Read More
Let's be honest! When it comes to parenting, men expect... Read More
Are you considering a car wash fundraiser for your group?... Read More
Many working families choose a commercial or individual day care... Read More
As parents and teachers, sometimes we want to praise, at... Read More
Ah, there is nothing like being an expectant mom. Along... Read More
I was in the life insurance sales industry for over... Read More
If you are currently homeschooling or considering homeschooling your child,... Read More
What's new and effective in the treatment of Attention problems?... Read More
Summertime means insect bites and stings. Ouch! Take a leaf... Read More
College is one of the largest expenses through the course... Read More
Is it hard to communicate with your teenager about issues... Read More
In the wonderment of childhood, it is easier for a... Read More
There is nothing quite like hiking with small children. The... Read More
Single parents are not often thought of as good parents.I... Read More
O'Hare Chicago prom limo ..Something happened the other day that made me feel uneasy.... Read More
As a parent is seems that the majority of your... Read More
Finding out that a child has been born with a... Read More
I had my first two children on either side of... Read More
In memory of 14 year old Matthew Smith; 11 year... Read More
During the assessment process it is of great importance for... Read More
Parental example, whether for good or for bad, is undoubtedly... Read More
Isn't the technology of today is amazing?! Between the speed... Read More
"In general my children refuse to eat anything that hasn't... Read More
Parents are losing their self-control to anger. A friend called... Read More
In my opinion, these things matter...1. Enjoying childlike delights before... Read More
If you had to spend 4 or 5 hours in... Read More
As a parent your biggest responsibility is to prepare your... Read More
Teaching kids to deal with conflict effectively and peacefully is... Read More
Prioritize. Learn to say No. Steal some time for yourself.Don't... Read More
Looking for an unusual and memorable gift? Why not preserve... Read More
This can be a very complicated issue, so I don't... Read More
Although nothing anybody says can ever completely prepare a woman... Read More
There has been much attention in the media of late... Read More
When my son was 18 (and had finished school), he... Read More
A common problem many times facing parents is Colic. Estimates... Read More
Single parents are not often thought of as good parents.I... Read More
How many times have you flipped through the pages of... Read More
You have a chore to do around the house, and... Read More
Research has shown that the present generation of children worldwide... Read More
Parenting |