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Scars

It was late.  I was putting my youngest to bed.  I took a moment to put my head on his chest to listen to his heartbeat.  Steady pound, rhythmic, soothing.  I was looking at him in his eyes as he lay with a little smile on his face.  He was looking at me closely when he noticed something. 

"Dad, you have a scar over your eye."

"Remember where I told you I got it from?", I said.

"Oh yea.  You got it from your old house."

I grew up in Decatur, Georgia in a house off of Glenwood Road off of I-285 (I know you didn't need to know all of that). Well, one day I was home with my dad playing in the house.  I was small, so our house seemed rather large to me, better yet, gigantic! So, I took off running in the house up and down the hall. 

"Son, don't run in the house.", said my dad.

That went in one ear and out the other so quickly.  I kept running.  Running.  I looked back as my dad yelled out again for me to stop running. I was still  looking back as I ran forward.  I turned around and ran straight into the bathroom door jamb. 

Screams...blood...pain...screams...blood...more blood.

I still have that scar some thirty plus year later.  That scar taught me to never run in the house.

Scars are life lessons.  Usually, they hurt, but in the end are good for us because they keep us (hopefully) from making the same mistakes.  They aren't always physical.  They're mental, emotional, and financial.

Dads, are you learning from your scars? What are some scars you have from parenting or from your marriage? I'd love to hear about them (and learn from them). I'll even talk more about mine.  I have No Off Season...

Comments

  1. It is so true that we learn from our scars. We also learn from the deeper wounds we have. It hurts when we receive them but we have such a testimony to give to others. Examples to help others and guide them as best as possible. Thanks for sharing.

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