The Lessons I’ve Learned Being a Father for 36 Years
Learning to grow up together
When we had our first son, I was twenty-seven, but I’m guessing I had the emotional maturity of an eighteen-year-old. Ask my extremely accepting and loving wife, father, mother, and most of our friends.
Like most parents, I started reading books about parenting. However, the most important lessons I learned came from being a father.
Fortunately for our children, my wife has the patience of a saint. She also came from a “normal” family. That means her parents never screamed, yelled, cussed, or threw pots and pans. Conversely, I grew up in a loving hell hole.
Looking back, life as a parent blew by faster than I could imagine. It’s as if we raised our children in a time warp, and before we knew it, both boys were off to college, and it wasn’t long after that we found our nest empty.
Our sons live nearby today and are co-creating their children with devoted spouses and partners. Trust me, parenting is the highest calling for human beings, especially in the early years of parenthood. It’s not an easy job, but it sure leads to buckets of joy when you look back and realize you did well. The way to know how you did is to see how your children treat others.
