Yesterday my oldest child turned 26! Wow! Two thoughts entered my mind as I was trying to make sense of this very important day. First, I am way to young to have a son that is 26!!! Second, when I was 26 I had just welcomed my third child into the family!
I spoke with my son on his birthday. I would have loved to share a piece of birthday cake with him but that would be kind of hard to do since he is in Africa. It was weird to share this birthday with him because talking on the phone overseas can sometimes be less than desired. There is a time delay that really interrupts the conversation flow and lends itself more to single syllable responses.
I used to be able to freely give my son and my daughters advice about all sorts of things that they might be experiencing. Since they all live a considerable distance away from me it makes my advice less sought after and frankly I suspect less valuable. So much of what they are experiencing in their lives is so different than what I have ever experienced. My perspective or life experience may not really hold a helpful dimension.
This observation really leads me to a point. Most of all, I want my kids to know that I love them! I am extremely proud of them. Their life choices may not have been mine but I deeply respect them and believe that each will in their own way leave their mark on this world in a very positive way. What I am further discovering is that what I can give them is something that only I can give them. I can be their father and I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world!
