No Off Season...for dads

I was teaching a class the other day.  We were reading a class novel.  In a part of the story, there was an uncle who said that boys fight as a part of growing up.  I opened this up for discussion because the school's theme for the month is respect.  I mentioned two boys in the class who I know have been in fights (because I have had to break them up) and mentioned that I know they are not afraid of fighting.  They smiled in agreement.  I asked the class if they believed that fighting is a natural part of growing up.  Most of the students said yes.  I strongly objected.  I then mentioned that I had never been in a fight with anyone.  Mouths dropped!  Some of the students could not believe it.  I told them that I have never been in a fight at school, or even with my brother.  I said that I believe that there are different ways of being able to handle yourself and different confrontational situations. "You ...

Tonight I had the privilege of attending my oldest son's Upper School presentation at his school.  It was an opportunity for us to see the experiences their children are having in school.  My son, along with another classmate, spoke about their experiences as fourth graders (he is in the 5th grade now).  He spoke with confidence and poise.  All of the other students got up and spoke with an eloquence and assuredness.  I was very pleased. They gave a variety of examples of things they encounter while at school.  The arts presentation blew my mind.  I was watching the presentation, but as a teacher, I was also taking notes for things I could do with my own classes.  It was a great experience. We live about 20 miles away from the school.  It is about an hour commute in and an hour commute out.  There are several days when we are frustrated with traffic, inconsiderate drivers, our own fatigue, roadblocks, and other factors...

It turned out to be a day of running around the city.  I took care of my minivan; the 'check engine' light was on for the last two days.  So, I dropped the kids off at school, drove to 7-11 to get my coffee and donut, and went to the auto repair shop.  The repair man checks the car and begins giving me an oil change.  He comes back in with the bolt that seals the oil pan and says its damaged.  "You need to get it replaced."  he said. "Okay", I responded as I am sipping my coffee. About three minutes later, he returns and says, "We have to replace the entire oil pan because it is damaged.  I cannot let you drive off with it in this condition.  What are you gonna do?" I'm thinking to myself, "What do you mean, 'What am I gonna do?  I have no car!'"  I begin calling my wife only to remember that she was in an all day conference-I could only text her.  Meanwhile, the repairmen comes back in the room and says to me in his...

My granddad passed away today at the seasoned age of 84.  A man of strong faith and character, a teacher, and a deacon.  He was awesome! I am even more grateful to God that my boys got a chance to really experience his wit and fun loving heart.  They were able to be with him at least twice in the last three years.  He lived in Sumter, SC, and God allowed us the opportunities to make the trip to see him.  As he got up in age, he began to forget their names more and more.  He had Alzheimer's Disease, so it took a toll on his memory.  But he could remember the boys and their character.  He could remember what they did when they were younger.  He still seemed pretty sharp to me.  If I were to ask my boys about a memory they had of him, I am sure that they would mention going to the breakfast buffet at Shoney's.  Every time we entered the city of Sumter, that was our first destination.  We would would get up in the morn...

W e were in the Bronx this past weekend.  My wife and her family was celebrating the life and death of their grandmother; she would have celebrated her 100th birthday this year.  Well, the Bronx for me is always a treat.  I love the constant activity, the smell of the streets, the racket of the 4 and 5 trains, and the people.  So many cultures wrapped into one place.  New York is a great place. As I usually do, I go to White Plains Road and order some slices of pizza.  Throw some garlic and oregano on and I am good to go!  Since the whole family was with me and everyone was hungry, I ordered a whole pie.  While waiting, I watched my two boys in the pizza shop.  They reminded me of NY and Cali pizzas.  My oldest sat in the front of the shop watching the college football game, oblivious to the other people and commotion of the streets.  My youngest stood in the back of the pizza shop in the open window facing the street watchin...

I went to church on Wednesday night.  The men got together during the week to chat about our lives and how the Bible needs to be our influence and guide.  One of the men there said something so prolific that I had to write about it.  As we talked, he said, "Every man is responsible for a 100 years of impact ".  In other words, we are responsible for our generation, and the next, and the next.  It got me thinking about the legacy I need to leave with my family and my sons' families.  I have thought of this before, but I see that reminders are good to have. I am reminded of how being a parent, and especially a father, is a constant 24 hour, 365 day-a-year job!  It's a welcomed and rewarding task.  Yet, there are times when I do think about how challenging it can be, and I can become overwhelmed. I want to prepare my family for success.  I want them to undersatnd how the world works.  I want them to have an underst...

I took my youngest son to a Tae Kwon Do class the other day for the first time. He had never been involved in the martial arts. We won a gift certificate for him to attend. As we go into the building, he seemed rather calm, taking in all of the sights and sounds of the other classes that were going on. My wife and I had been thinking of putting him in a class to help teach a greater level of self-discipline. So this should be good. The master asked everyone to come into the room and get in place. My son, being only five was a little antsy, but that was to be expected. I sat in the far corner of the room, just enough out of the way so he could not see me and just enough for me to catch a glimpse of what he was doing. I paid careful attention to my son as the instructor gave directions on what to do next. He ordered them to run around the mat until he said stop. “Go!”, he said. As all the kids began running around the mat, I hear this little kid yelling at the top of his lungs. ...