The morning started out hectic as usual, but the highlight was the fact that I was being able to spend time in my kids’ ever-increasingly busy lives for a few precious hours.
We loaded up the SUV and headed to a favorite pond for some cat fishing. An air of anticipation was present as we neared the honey hole. After we picked out our area and baited up, the action proved to be hot as the weather. The poor catfish didn’t stand a chance against the wary, soon-to-be 13 and 9 year olds’ skills. My fishing rod sat dormant as I was occupied with re-baiting and stringing Mr. Whiskers. The kids relented on their assault of the local fish when it was realized that we needed to leave in order to arrive at a birthday party on time. The final score: Kids 7, Fish 0! What a glorious victory! Though the picture had to be arranged, the smiles came naturally.
It reminded me of the times that I spent with my Dad on the Chattahoochee River. I relished those times when we could go spend time, absent of the concerns about school, those pesky girls or how bad I had done in the last Tee Ball game. My Dad had invested his time in spending time with me in my world. I now have a lifetime to look back on those memories.
I now have that same privilege with my kids, whether fishing or hunting in the woods or hanging out with them while they “hunt” in the mall. My prayer is that I am creating the same rich memories for my kids that I have grown up with. For us as fathers to create those types of memories for our children we must invest our time. We all have the same 24 hours that will be spent each and every day. How we choose to spend that time dictates what type of return that we as Dads and our kid will receive. Time is sometimes very hard to come by… but the rewards of time wisely spent are GREAT, not only for our kids, but for us also! Here’s a thought, why not go on a time spending spree. Isn’t it about time to go fishing and hunting?