It's Officially Summer

I know yesterday was technically the first day of Summer, but in our household today was an important day which marked the end of the school year and the beginning of Summer vacation. Report Cards. Only I'm not talking about our children's report cards, I'm talking about mine.

You see, last night my wife and I were talking about our eldest son, the challenges he's facing as a teenager in school and the state of my particular relationship with him. Facing the truth wasn't pretty. For years, I've been out of touch with the daily lives of my kids. Sure, I provide for them and I do love them, but I definitely need to be more involved. I need to speak to them more kindly and treat them better overall. I just need to be a better 'Dad'.

To accurately gauge the state of our relationships with each of my children, I issued a report card to each of my kids at breakfast. The report card listed 'classes' in the form of Love, Kindness, Gentleness, Listening, Fairness and Good Example. I asked that my children rate my performance, from A-F while I was at work. There was no pressure with my being present and I had their mother assure them that no matter the grade they assigned, I wouldn't be upset with them.

Two of my kids were overly kind, issuing all A's and B's. They're tender children whom don't like to offend or hurt others, so they were very generous. This reflects favorably on their nature and doesn't necessarily mean I'm stellar. The other two children were brutally honest, sharing severe problem areas of Kindness, Gentleness, Fairness and Listening. Ouch.

I spent the day thinking about all of the times when I've snapped at my kids when they get out of bed for the umpteenth time. I pondered the times I've blown up toward them, when they complain about their dinner. I reflected on the times I've yelled, scowled or otherwise dealt with them poorly over the years.

"Lord, please grant me forgiveness in the way I've handled my children. You know I love them and I ask that you help untwist my gnarled, stressed out heart, so I can show them what's really inside me. Please extend my patience, kindness and gentleness toward them in all situations where I'd normally melt down. Amen."

Thanks for sticking with me during this process. You may now see further into my life than you ever intended and I apologize. I'm not an evil man, but I do struggle to consistently do the right thing, please God and love my family in all situations. Take a minute and honestly assess how you are interacting with your own family.

Good Night