A daddy’s concern
To my little ones,
I woke up today, as always, with you on my mind – thinking of another day with both of you in my life. What a wonderful way to start the day. In the 10 months you have been in my life, I cannot imagine my life without you.
That is why, when I opened today’s newspaper and I read a story about a vivacious, bright and energetic 15-year-old boy who was hit and killed by a train as he tried to cross the tracks, I wept. I wept for the boy whose potential will never blossom. I wept for his parents who must be beside themselves with grief. And I wept for you, my little ones, knowing that someday you will venture out into this world without my watchful eye.
Someday, I will have to trust you to make good decisions – even when those around you may encourage you to make the wrong ones. In the coming years I will do everything I can to teach you the difference between right and wrong. I will try and teach you to make the good but often more difficult choice over the wrong, and maybe more popular ones.
But ultimately the decision will be yours. I want you to know how important you are to me. I want you to know that when you are out of my sight I worry about you. Not because I don’t trust you, but because I know I can’t be there to protect you. You are my shining stars. My guiding light and I want you to live a long and successful life. My body aches for that to happen. My mind worries that it might not.
So, when you are 15 or 13 or 25 or 55, please remember that the decisions you make each and every moment can have enormous consequences. Please, make the right choice, little ones. Today, I weep for a boy I never knew. I can’t imagine there being enough tears in the world were something to happen to you.
Love,
Daddy.
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I let my 8 yr old daughter walk the three blocks to ballet by herself this last week. That was SO incredibly hard for me, especially since she turns a corner and I can’t watch her the entire way. Would she remember to look both ways when crossing the street? Of course, as any good parent would do, I phoned the dance studio to make sure she made it.
Comment by Julie — April 8, 2006 @ 9:05 am
I had a child who would wander off to the store with a pennny in his pocket and who wouldn’t answer when I called to him, it’s a good thing the dog knew to come when I called your name and she would lead me to you.
I have seen your backyard it’s not big enough to get lost in and get a dog anyway.
Comment by Grandmother — April 8, 2006 @ 10:39 am
Now I’m thinking back to when I was a child and trying to comprehend how incredibly hard it must have been for my parents to cut the strings and let me go off on my own. If they only knew all the trouble I was getting into I’m sure they wouldn’t have let me leave the house!
Comment by mormondaddy — April 9, 2006 @ 10:24 am
Now you’ve got me all weepy. Sheesh.
I have to go kiss my sons now, if that’s okay.
Comment by Susan — April 9, 2006 @ 8:23 pm
I lost a dear friend in a car accident when I was 19. She was a week shy of her own 19th birthday. Her boyfriend was driving, and they hit a patch of black ice and skidded off the road. He walked away unhurt and she died at the hospital. The loss of “what could have been” is the hardest thing to take. I just pray that I’ll never have to face the same situation myself, ever.
Comment by Deanna — April 9, 2006 @ 10:45 pm