Are you listening?
Sometimes it doesn’t matter how much time I spend with Wyatt it’s just not enough. I want to be there for him 24-7 but the fact is I can’t. However, last week Wyatt was sick with a cold and needed to stay home from day care to get some rest. Fortunately, I wasn’t as busy as usual at the office so I was able to stay home with him – although I still answered my phone calls etc. During one such phone call, Wyatt interrupted and I asked him to hold on just a minute. I’m sure it seemed like forever to him but when I hung up I asked what he needed. Wyatt said, “I just wanted to tell you I love you.” With that, all memories of the phone call were gone. That put life into perspective real quick.
Last Sunday he was just getting over his cold and I was in the middle of mine. I just didn’t have the energy to play with him the way he wanted, so at the end of the day I felt bad, like I had let him down a bit. Sure it was just one day but every day with Wyatt is important so I’m a little hard on myself. At any rate, I said I would make it up to him and that was good enough.
You know how sometimes you buy your child something expensive thinking he’s really going to like it but instead is in wonder of the packaging? Sometimes it doesn’t take as much as we think to intrigue our kids. Wyatt and I have seen The Polar Express movie a hundred times and there is a part in the movie where the conductor asks the passengers for their tickets so he can punch them. So I bought a $2 hole-punch and gave it to him last night. That $2 kept us both entertained for the rest of the evening as Wyatt punched my make-believe train ticket over and over. “Tickets please...daddy I need your ticket.”
And one more special moment... I asked Wyatt if he wanted some waffles before we left for day care and he said sure. As I walked to the kitchen I heard “Wait…wait, Daddy!” As I turned to see what was the matter Wyatt reached out and said, “I need a hug.”………………… I’ve got all the hugs you’ll ever need son.
posted by Steve at 1:22 PM
1 Comments:
I too am a single parent but I am a mother. I have the same heart string feelings about am I spending enough time with my son. I sometimes find it hard to be the mother and the father, but I keep moving forward and tell myself that God gave me this child because he knew that I needed him and I trust that God has and will continue to equip me in knowing how to raise him. My son was sick last week as well and I stayed home with him and come Monday it was hard for him to go back to school. He is six years old and very attached to me as I am attached to him. I agree it is the little things that mean so much to our children and we sometimes forget that. Just a few weeks ago I had decided to do an activity with my son in the evening time. I asked him if he wanted to build a puzzle. He said that he wanted to paint. He pulled out our painting supplies and we sat at the kitchen table and painted for about 20 to 30 minutes. During this time he told me that he loved me. I say I love him everyday he doesn't always reply back the same but when he stopped painting to tell me he loved me, that was when it was reaffirmed to me that quality spent with my son is more important to him than anything money could buy. Be well my single father and keep up the good work. Stay strong for your son and yourself.
9:35 AM
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