0 In Fatherhood

Living with Concerted Purpose

The Blueberry Patch, Mansfield Ohio

Amid the vast sea of food, DIY, and parenting blogs, you might say, “Here we go, another wanna-be blogger that thinks he has something to say.

Well, that’s partially true. In all honesty, this is for me. I wear many hats, maybe I’ll describe them in detail some time, but one of my most important hat is that of “dad.” I try to be a good father and husband to my family. But I have pitfalls, as many parents discover. One of my largest pitfalls is wishing for my kids to just hurry up…

“Noah, come on, bud.” “Why did you take your socks off! Get your shoes on!” “Gracey, eat! We need to go!” “Sam, learn to wipe your butt!”

I spend too much time focusing on time that I’m forcing life’s fun out. Time is already against us. Sure, we need schedules and we need to meet deadlines, but much of my pressure I place on my children to be anything other than who they are comes from me, not our timeframe or expectected social behaviors. Let them be late. Miss the first bell for once. Hang from the handrail. I tend to be so quick to pounce at any slightest divergence or infraction that I forget part of being a kid is about experimenting. Maybe with time. Maybe with falling. But I can be so tightly wound up that it isn’t until I take a breath from time to time that I realize my first born, baby boy is turning into a big boy who needs to explore. Who needs to find himself. Who needs to fail.

This blog is primarily for them. I want to savor the days of their youth more, and I think this will force my hand, requiring me to make a concerted effort to take in their “being,” daily rather than weekly. In doing so, they may benefit too.

Aside from them, I love to cook and share what I make. I love working on little projects around the house, much like you. Whether it’s replacing a bath tub (in the process), experimenting with photo transfers, or making a nice little shelf from old pallet wood. I want to catalog my triumphs and tribulations. Because life should be about two things — learning and fun…at least right now.

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