I'm A Proud Father

You know, being a parent has never been a job I relished. I remember before we had kids, I could be selfish. Everything was pretty much about me. Oh sure, I had a wife to care about, but I didn't do too good at that. It was mostly about me. When we had kids though, I had to focus on someone else. Unconditional love became a new concept. And the challenges were great.

Kids are hard. Parenting is not for the faint at heart. But through it all, there are moments when you somehow seem to get a glimpse of the beauty in those relationships. There are times when you smile. You feel good about the relationship. You find yourself liking the person that is, and not just being the parent. Instead, you are their friend. And you find, to your surprise, that you enjoy that role. It feels good.

My son will be 10 years old next month. He's quite a handful. He is articulate and smart. He's a voracious reader and has a great sense of humor. But he presents the challenges too. You know the ones I'm talking about ... they take you to the edge of your wits. There are no words to describe the bewilderment that you feel in being their parent. But then, there are those moments of peculiar, wonderful focus. You get a glimpse of who they are, beyond your child. And you appreciate who they are.

I had one of those moments this week. I found a poem my son had written for school. He didn't show it to me. But as I read it, I found my heart swelling, especially at the end. This kid is addicted to Nintendo DS. But the sentiments reflect his free spirit, his loving heart, and his developing perspective on life. Here's what he wrote.

If I Were In Charge of the World

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If I were in charge of the world

I'd cancel "Blues Clues," classwork,

vegetables, and also war.

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If I were in charge of the world

there'd be more games for DS,

more game systems, and more Kirby.

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If I were in charge of the world

you wouldn't have rules,

you wouldn't have guns,

or have to take tests.

You wouldn't even have pens.

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If I were in charge of the world

a chocolate bar

would be a vegetable.

All books would be Garfield comics.

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And a person who sometimes forgot to put away

his remote control cards,

and sometimes forgot to brush his teeth,

would still be allowed to be

in charge of the world.

- JW

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