 If you’ve stuck with us this far into the miniseries, I’m so glad. If you are jumping in right at the end, feel free to go back to the previous posts. Up to this point, you might be thinking it seems simple enough, but let’s face it, some of us are living pretty crazy lives just to make this life in crazy town actually work. Some of us can barely make dinner a reality let alone be intentional about it.
So what do you do if you work a crazy work schedule? What do you do if your child is in the last years or even weeks of high school? Time is limited and so is your energy. When my youngest son entered kindergarten, I realized my time with him was essentially gone. When he was at school, I’d be home. When I was at work, he’d be home. It was a devastating realization for me as a dad. I realized I had to change work schedules, but in the meantime, I couldn’t wait until that happened. So, I looked for creative ways to stay involved in my sons’ lives. I decided that each week I would have lunch with them at their schools. This usually meant I sat in an extremely small chair surrounded by other kids and would have to engage in conversations about legos, superheroes and farts (don’t judge, your kids do it too). Fridays, I would come home from work, stop by a McDonald’s and pick up apple pies and other kinds of snacks. I’d wake them up and we’d watch TV while eating our snacks. In the winter, we’d get bundled up and head out to play in the snow. In the summertime, we’d go and look at the stars. Each of us has 24 hours in a day. We’ll never be able to find more time. As parents, we must intentionally create moments in time that help us connect with our children. My oldest son just entered high school. My wife and I realize that our weeks with him are slipping away. We are coming to the final stretch with him. I’ve had to re-evaluate what creating these moments will look like. I know that these years of high school will be full of crazy sports schedules, friends, eventually awkward dates and school dances with girls. Intentionality is key when creating moments that will help us create lasting memories. I foresee "guys only" weekend camping trips and driving lessons in which I don’t lose my ever-loving mind in our future! I’m learning that the key isn't balance. The key to success in life is to be fully present where you’re at. If you’re at work, give it 100% of your attention. If you’re at home, give your family 100% of your attention. It’s so easy to fall into the trap of comparing our realities to the perceived realities of others we see on social media. Don’t compare your life to the filtered perfection of others. Instead, focus on intentionally creating memories your family will remember! Photo by Piron Guillaume on Unsplash
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