My Children

July 21, 2009 — It's time in this blog for me to express what I feel about my children. Not so long ago I was having a discussion about children with one of my brothers as he lay in a bed at a rehab hospital. I don't recall the specifics of the conversation, but one part stands out in my memory and always will. As he talked about his children he stated that they are such "great kids." I don't think I fully understood what those two words meant to him, but I am finding out now what his meaning was.

I have four kids ranging in age from 41 to 19. Not exactly kids are they. While they were all with me two weekends ago, I delighted in the pure joy of having them around and seeing their interaction with each other. The teasing and joking and the stories and the serious discussions. All of it good stuff as my brother would have commented. It has brought back to me just how important they are to me.

My oldest proclaims that I am his hero. That is important to understand and to nurture. He is a dedicated father in his own right after starting out his adult life on shaky ground. He works hard, is God loving, devoted to his wife and his kids. To me he is the personification of a hard working young man doing what is right for himself and his family. I have the deepest respect for him.

Next in line is my daughter. She and I are most alike which probably is the reason we have butted heads the most. A woman with a strong sense of humor and an idea of who she really is and there is little she cannot do. Oh she gets busy with her own life as we all do and sometimes gets a bit self-centered in my opinion, but without a doubt when the chips are down she can be counted on to be there for a family member of a friend. She is very intelligent and strong willed, knows what she wants, and will be successful throughout her life.

Number two son is one who definitely walks to the beat of his own drum. He has been the quiet one of the bunch and never one to ruffle feathers. He is a man of strong faith and belief in God. He pursues his own interest, works hard in the IT industry, and goes about things with a sense of humor about it all. He is a terrific musician...starting out taking care of the sound board for local bands in California. He is a self taught guitarist and can play them all extremely well. He loves his music and also loves to produce. He has a great gift and shares it with everyone.

Bringing up the rear is my 19-yr old. This one is struggling to find his way in the world. He has taken some wrong roads and is now paying the price for those missteps. There are a number of things he has going for himself though. First, he also is very intelligent. Once he sets his mind to something he figures it out and off he goes. Secondly, I know where he comes from. That is not a brag, but a fact! Our family and his Mom's family have strong family ties and as I stated in an earlier blog "families are forever." There is no denying who you are and where you come from. This young one will soon find himself and become a very good man...of this I have no doubt.

So while this serves as a simple description of my children there is so much more about them. I love them dearly and when I reflect on my brothers words about his kids and think about my own I begin to have the understanding that I need. It's what really matters!