Adventures in Parenting

I had lunch with my 85-year-old dad today. It’s a treat for him to get the $5 Subway deal because he would not normally go there by himself. We split a chicken breast footlong on honey oat whole wheat. It came out to $4.99 with the “young man’s discount”, as the cashier phrased it.

Growing up, I did not spend too much time with my dad, quality or quantity. First of all, he owned a small restaurant where he not only worked long hours, but the only day off he had were Mondays – when we were all in school. My parents could never come to any of our school activities. I remember being in a school play in the 6th grade (well, a small non-speaking part), and a friend’s mom gave me a ride to the performance.

Now that I am a parent, I see not only what I missed from my dad, but what he missed by not being able to spend time with me.

I certainly understand that he had to work to provide for the family. He had no choice. Sure, we can make up for some lost time now. We talk and laugh, but those years of being with me when I was little are forever gone.

Don’t miss out.  As my son advises, “Spend time with [your] children and talk to them.”

(More about Spending Time With Your Children in the next post.)