What I learned from my children this year

Each year comes and goes and each year I find out how little I really know.   Daily life can point out what you don’t know, your friends are good at pointing out what you wish you knew, and your boss can often point out what they wished you would learn.  It really is amazing, but I find that it is often through my children that I learn my most important lessons.

From my eldest son, Chris, I have learned a number of things.  He’s taught me to do hard things, even when you don’t seem to have time to do them.  This year he showed me the importance of taking chances.  He made changes in several important areas of his life this year, there was no need to, and he could have comfortably stayed in his proven routine.  He realized changes were needed and that they would be good for him.

My eldest daughter has taught me a lot about being a dad over the years.  Dominique has taught me to be gentle, patient, and cautious in the way I speak.  This year she showed me a new lesson, how to be willing.  Throughout this year she has shown her mother and I a willingness to take on whatever her circumstances require.  No matter what we have required of her, no matter the curves life has thrown, she has shown steadfastness.  When life got in the way of her plans, she accepted the new reality and moved on without complaint.  When I asked her to take on extra responsibilities at home, she did so and asked if she could help in other ways.

My youngest daughter, Alexandra, has taught me so many lessons of the heart.  It’s because of her words that I made a huge change in my life in 2006.  This year she taught me the meaning of truly smiling.  When she smiles, she doesn’t hold back, she lets it be as big and goofy and fun as it needs to be.  Her laugh has refocused me to what joys I was overlooking when I came home from a lousy day dozens of times this year.  It is because of her that I have begun to enjoy the pleasures of a good laugh again.

Jeremiah, son number two, has been a teacher to me on many fronts.  He is single minded about goals.  He has and shows a soft heart.  He stops to help others.  This year he taught me about trusting God’s plan for me.  I learned this from him after a practice session during which his coach had shared with him some disappointing news.  Instead of getting down, he considered his coach’s opinion as that of an authority put in place by God, and decided he would trust his decision.  He even had the boldness to tell his coach he was okay with the decision because it was part of God’s plan. 

“From the mouths of babes…” goes an old saying.  Well, my children are not babes, but from their mouths and from their actions I experienced wisdom spoken into my life.