A couple of days ago, when driving with my two young children, my 7-year-old girl was asking me about some of the crazy things I did when I was younger. As I cautiously told them about some of the stupid things I’ve done and dangerous places I’ve gone, my 4-year-old boy proclaimed, “I’m gonna go wherever you go, Daddy!” Immediately, I had a welling up of fear, as I would be mortified if he did some of the things I had done in my youth. That quickly followed with an undeniable feeling of pride, knowing that my little guy wanted to be like me. Suddenly, the fear and the pride mixed together to form a definite sense of responsibility.
I felt responsible knowing that he trusted me enough to know that I would keep him safe as long as he were with me. What love and trust – and responsibility! I also was struck by the fact that he would be watching me and following my lead – going wherever I go. I suspect your kids feel the same about you, whether or not they have actually articulated those sentiments. That made me realize that not only do I have to be careful to not do certain things, because my children would also do them, but I have to be intentional about doing certain things, because then my children would follow my lead and do those things.
So I guess it is time to start being intentional about being the man I want my son to be and the person I want my daughter to emulate. Since they already seem to look up to me and respect me for the little, everyday things I do with them and the other things they see me do, I have decided to do more. Yes, just do more. There are other things I want them to learn, like compassion, initiative, and empathy. Therefore, I have hooked up with a friend of mine, who has started an organization that promotes exactly those values I want my kids to develop. This organization is called Goodwill Gear and is run by Chad Mullins. His initiative developed from his compassion and empathy for the homeless people of his hometown, Barrie, Ontario. Chad wanted to help the homeless with food, warm clothing, blankets, and anything that they could use. He wants to put all of these items in backpacks and then go out and distribute them to those who need them. Simple as that. What is his reward? Why is he doing this? No reward, he just isn’t willing to sit by while others suffer. That is what I want my children to learn. That is real learning. That is being a quality person. This isn’t a specialty area of his; in fact, I think if you were to ask him, he would admit a bit of trepidation. He doesn’t know where he will be getting the backpacks, the supplies, or finances to purchase these, but he’s doing it anyway. I want my kids to see me doing this. Therefore, when Chad takes these backpacks out for the first time, I will be with him. I don’t want to let this amazing teachable moment for my kids – and me – to pass by without me taking action. Way to go, Chad, and thanks for the opportunity!
Stay REAL!
I felt responsible knowing that he trusted me enough to know that I would keep him safe as long as he were with me. What love and trust – and responsibility! I also was struck by the fact that he would be watching me and following my lead – going wherever I go. I suspect your kids feel the same about you, whether or not they have actually articulated those sentiments. That made me realize that not only do I have to be careful to not do certain things, because my children would also do them, but I have to be intentional about doing certain things, because then my children would follow my lead and do those things.
So I guess it is time to start being intentional about being the man I want my son to be and the person I want my daughter to emulate. Since they already seem to look up to me and respect me for the little, everyday things I do with them and the other things they see me do, I have decided to do more. Yes, just do more. There are other things I want them to learn, like compassion, initiative, and empathy. Therefore, I have hooked up with a friend of mine, who has started an organization that promotes exactly those values I want my kids to develop. This organization is called Goodwill Gear and is run by Chad Mullins. His initiative developed from his compassion and empathy for the homeless people of his hometown, Barrie, Ontario. Chad wanted to help the homeless with food, warm clothing, blankets, and anything that they could use. He wants to put all of these items in backpacks and then go out and distribute them to those who need them. Simple as that. What is his reward? Why is he doing this? No reward, he just isn’t willing to sit by while others suffer. That is what I want my children to learn. That is real learning. That is being a quality person. This isn’t a specialty area of his; in fact, I think if you were to ask him, he would admit a bit of trepidation. He doesn’t know where he will be getting the backpacks, the supplies, or finances to purchase these, but he’s doing it anyway. I want my kids to see me doing this. Therefore, when Chad takes these backpacks out for the first time, I will be with him. I don’t want to let this amazing teachable moment for my kids – and me – to pass by without me taking action. Way to go, Chad, and thanks for the opportunity!
Stay REAL!