Life is precious, value it....
As a father myself ive started to appreciate the little moments i spend with my son. Sometimes we take forgranted how simple life could be or on how little things make a huge difference. Its not about buying your child the most expensive gift or taking him to Spur but by just being there for them when they need you and just having time for them. No matter how busy, stressed or tired you are, the little attention you give your child makes a huge difference. When i read this story i felt i most indeed needed to share this with my readers. Hope you enjoy it...
During a rainstorm, a young woman named Alice listened to a friend complain about the dreary weather. “It’s like the world stops and you’re trapped.”
After a reflective pause, Alice gave an easy-going reply. “I love the rain.”
“What? You like this weather? I can’t imagine why.”
Alice explained, “When I was a little girl, my dad was a carpenter, and he did a lot of jobs outside. So, if it was raining, I knew there was a good chance that Daddy couldn’t leave for work that day. He’d be home, in his little shed out back, and I could be with him as he did his woodwork.”
She continued, “So now, a nice rainy afternoon brings all of that back to me, and I have those same feelings of spending time with my dad and being close to him. When it rained, that meant he would be there for me.”
Can you picture that little girl? Cherishing that time with her daddy. Can you see her now as a young adult? Smiling at the memories.Most fathers don’t fully understand how much our children long for our time and attention or how much they simply want to be with us. Really, the best time we spend with them is not go, go, go. Memories are made doing simple everyday activities together—weeding the garden, painting the porch, playing catch, or driving to the hardware store. You know, just hanging out.
For Alice, those times with her dad will be with her the rest of her life. Every time it rains, she feels special. The question to consider is how you can have that kind of impact on your children.
One clue from Alice’s story is that she connected a regular event with a sense of expectation. Rain will forever be linked with time spent together with her dad. And memories were made. What’s really interesting is that Alice’s dad probably didn’t even know he was creating images and emotions that would last a lifetime.
It’s possible, dad, that you’re well on your way to making similar memory links with your kids. On Sunday mornings, do you read the comics together? On clear nights, do you point out constellations? During snowstorms, do you huddle together around the fireplace? When you’re checking the fence line, do you make sure you have a son or daughter riding shotgun? When the baseball game is on, do you make room on the couch?
If that describes time spent with your child, then decades from now that grownup kid will have plenty of moments that trigger memories of time with Dad and bring a warm smile and a wash of nostalgia. A Sunday newspaper, starry night, snowstorm, visit to a hardware store, or ball game is all it will take.
We encourage dads to be intentional about initiating activities and spending time together with your kids. When the kids are young, it’s easy. They are eager to tag along, snuggle, or be Daddy’s helper. As they get older, you’ll want to find a regular time and place where your world intersects with their world—a hobby, a sport, a small business, maybe an intellectual pursuit, or work where you get some good honest dirt under your fingernails.
