Dad, Go Ahead and Cry
She slipped her small, soft eight-year-old hand into mine. Her face was lit up with joy. And as my daughter took my hand and moved closer to me, I lost control of my emotions.
Tears of joy ran down my face, right in the middle of the church where my daughter was having her first communion. Right in the middle of many of our family members, who had come to support her.
As she sat there in her white dress and veil, she seemed an angel to me. And when I saw the joy in her eyes, I was no match for it. The tears just came.
There's no manual that comes for us in moments like this. They simply grab you and take you where they want. I sat there, wrestling with a number of conflicting thoughts and emotions. Would my daughter or other family members be embarrassed? After all, I'm a man! We're supposed to control our emotions, right? Part of me wanted to have the freedom to cry freely without judgment. But mostly, the feeling that overcame me was one of pure joy and gratitude.
Here I was with a loving, supportive family, seeing my daughter go through an important rite of passage, and seeing her immense excitement and joy. Sharing that moment with her made everything in my life feel worthwhile. It made all the hardships of raising children seem insignificant. I felt as fortunate as anyone on earth. Why was I chosen to receive all these blessings? It was the kind of moment that we don't have enough of, and the kind of moment that fathers don't always embrace as strongly as they could.
This kind of moment is what most of us live for, whether we know it or not. The moment in which our heart takes over. The moment that brings us the closest to pure love, when we see our child as an amazing gift from God.
On this day, the vision of my daughter snuggled next to me was etched in my mind forever.
Later, after the celebration was over, we arrived at home to begin business-as-usual. I thought about the many projects that I'd neglected to start. The garden, the lawn, and the inside of the house all screamed my name. I felt that familiar sense of having too many things to do, and too little time.
And then I remembered the moment with my daughter again, knowing that it could never be taken away from us. I knew then that the decision about which project to start wasn't really important. In fact, it didn't matter that much if I started any of them at all.
What was really important was keeping my heart open, for the next "moment."
Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC, coaches busy parents by phone to balance their life and improve their family relationships. For a FREE twenty minute sample session by phone; ebooks, courses, articles, and a FREE newsletter, go to http://www.markbrandenburg.com. or email him at mark@markbrandenburg.com.
 Google News Updated : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 20:07:30 GMT Obama and McCain to Make Joint Sept. 11 Visit to Ground Zero - Washington Post
Washington Post - By Michael D. Shear COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- John McCain and Barack Obama announced today that they will visit Ground Zero in New York on Thursday to mark the seventh anniversary of the 9-11 attacks that brought down the Twin Towers. McCain's new cast of thousands, all unknown Liking McCain pick, but not McCain Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 17:48:49 GMT A pair of Coens might as well be one at Toronto - Reuters
Reuters - By Janet Guttsman TORONTO (Reuters) - There is a reason they are called the Coen Bros., and not Joel Coen and Ethan Coen: they might as well be one person. Pitt Rocks to Madonna The Coens’ Funny Bones Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:13:38 GMT Rosetta spacecraft takes asteroid photos - United Press International
United Press International - PARIS, Sept. 6 (UPI) -- The Rosetta spacecraft has captured images of an asteroid in orbit more than 220 million miles from Earth, a European Space Agency official says. European space probe completes asteroid fly by Spacecraft flies by remote asteroid, camera stops Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:33:25 GMT Mozilla updates Firefox 3.1 with Alpha 2 build - Computerworld
Computerworld - By Gregg Keizer September 6, 2008 (Computerworld) Mozilla Corp. on Friday launched the second alpha of Firefox 3.1, adding new video support and boosting the speed of some JavaScript computations. Chrome's JavaScript challenge to Silverlight NetSuite Says Chrome-optimized Apps Are Flying Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:15:17 GMT Stunner - Alex Smith listed as doubtful - San Francisco Chronicle San Francisco Chronicle - The 49ers just called and said quarterback Alex Smith is "doubtful" for tomorrow's season-opener against the visiting Cardinals. 49ers QB Smith doubtful for Sunday Alex Smith injures shoulder, doubtful for Sunday Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:20:25 GMT Rejuvenated Federer Overpowers Djokovic to Reach Final - New York Times
New York Times - By LIZ ROBBINS Roger Federer was acing like old times - up the middle, out wide, serving up even more frustration for the snarling Novak Djokovic. Federer tames Djokovic to reach final Federer rolls into another US Open final Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:19:52 GMT US Jobless Rate Climbs Past 6%, Highest Since ’03 - New York Times New York Times - By LOUIS UCHITELLE The unemployment rate jumped to 6.1 percent in August, its highest level in five years, pushing the troubles of American workers to the center of the political debate as the presidential campaign enters its final weeks. Jobless rate at 5-year high Unemployment, mortgage delinquencies soar in worrisome sign for ... Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 02:04:03 GMT RSS Parser |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... Now I know that is not how the song goes,... Read More How do we deal with our seriously distressed children and... Read More Many parents seem to be more than a little confused... Read More Everyone loves penguins. And now, everyone has a chance to... Read More Plus size children and overweight children need patterns and clothing... Read More Each child carries a unique picture of the self, shaped... Read More We all know that using cloth nappies is best for... Read More Jason Meridith's two-year old son whines when he wants more... Read More Bedtime and children's sleep habits can cause nightmares - for... Read More As Mother's Day approaches I would like to give a... Read More 'Whose room is it anyway?'If you have a teenager, you're... Read More Join a growing number of parents and teachers!Fact: Last year,... Read More Is your baby approaching his or her first birthday and... Read More Moving house can be an emotional experience for adults, so... Read More Dear friends here we will charge up our mind with... Read More There are a LOT of alternative treatments for sale out... Read More Child Party Planning Guideline #1)Pick the ThemeYour child is going... Read More If you are currently homeschooling or considering homeschooling your child,... Read More Levels of SafetyBy teaching our children there are different levels... Read More As parents, we want our children and teens to grow... Read More As parents, we strive to address all of the questions... Read More The Real Dangers to Kids Online and How to Avoid... Read More Kitchens are where everything happens. It's not just where meals... Read More What's hard for teenagersHaving people who don't understand you trying... Read More Parents looking for a quick fix usually choose troubled teen... Read More
Adsense
websites
Stay at Home Mom You Need to Raise Cowboys
Hearing Our Seriously Distressed Children
Parenting Your Teenager: Ask Questions
March of the Penguins - A Fun Learnig Tool
Patterns For Plus Size Children
The Recipe For The Making Of A Self-Assured Child: One Part Communication, Two Parts Love
Using Cloth Nappies
Winning The Whining War
Bedtime and Sleep Habits
Mothers Day Tribute
How To Live With Your Teenagers Untidy Room
Are You Frustrated With Public Schools?
Breastfeed a Toddler - Why?
Coping with the Stress of Moving Home and Childrens Concerns
Effects of Jealousy on Childs Personality
The Three Best Alternative Treatments for ADHD
Planning the Ultimate Kid Birthday Party
How To Homeschool Without Making Your Child An Outcast
Three Sure-Fire Ways to Teach Your Child About Safety
One Definition of Success
How To Foster An Environment For Successful Communications With Your Child
The Real Dangers to Kids Online and How to Avoid Them: Top 5 Internet Safety Tips
Parenting in the Kitchen ? Lessons in Cooking, Socializing, and Bonding
Parenting Your Teenager: What Teens Say About Parents
Camps for Troubled Teens: Disciplines and Wilderness
Affordable and Reliable Web Hosting Starting at $4.49/Month
How Often Does Child Sexual Abuse Get Reported?
Not nearly as often as it should. Most child abuse... Read More
Dyslexia: Is the Shoe Perhaps on the Wrong Foot?
Reading is the most important skill that a child must... Read More
Watering Your Young Child?s Mind
Mary, Mary, quite contrary, How does your garden grow? With... Read More
How to Put Your Kids (Or Grandkids) On the Fast Track to Success
Working with adults (as well as children and teens) for... Read More
Potty Training ?To Train or Not to Train?
I have always found the notion of toilet training a... Read More
Exposing the Damage: TV and Kids
There are millions of young children in this country who... Read More
The Cost of Competition on Kids
The subject of competition is one that provokes some pretty... Read More
How to Assist Troubled Teens
What parents of a teen haven't wondered where their sweet... Read More
The Hardest Job I Ever Had
I used to have a really challenging job. It was... Read More
The 5 Babysitter Commandments
Having a babysitter take care of your kids is sometimes... Read More
Choosing Names For Twins
There are many reasons for treating your twins as individuals... Read More
The Financially Intelligent Parent: 8 Steps to Raising Successful, Generous, Responsible Children
What you say and do about money has a profound... Read More
Dads - What Family Legacy Are You Passing On to Your Children?
Do you want to create a deeper, more loving relationship... Read More
Why Consistency Is The Key To Raising Well-behaved Kids
Being consistent when children are less than perfect can make... Read More
Games Of The Past Meet The Present
Recently, our family had the opportunity to care for sisters'... Read More
Baby Name Meanings
Speaking as a Michael (a Hebrew name, meaning "Who is... Read More
Nurtured by Love or Matured by Nature?
"There is nothing new under the sun," states Ecclesiastes 1:9.... Read More
10 Universal Laws for Parents of Teens
1 "Law of Belonging": The greatest need of teenagers (after... Read More
Encouraging Your Child to Write
How in the world do you get your child to... Read More
Simple Tricks To Help You And Your Kids To Find Friends
One of the most prevalent problems of the computer age... Read More
Helping Your Teen Get Back to School With Clear Skin
Backpack? Check. Notebooks? Check. Ink-pens? Check. Clear Skin? Mommmm!If you... Read More
Road Trip with Kids
Boredom, limited space and overflowing energy are a source of... Read More
Tools to Find Family-Friendly Content
The Internet, is magnificent in its resources for families. Educational... Read More
Give Your Child the Gift of Self-Esteem
Much has been said about the "gifted child" but in... Read More
How Being a Mom Makes You a Better Professional
"Becoming a parent can make you a better worker," New... Read More
Parenting |