Family Matters
The holidays are just around the corner and chances are you won’t see your parents/ grandparents again until the next calendar holiday. Some of us don’t have a choice because we have to provide for our families. Some of us do have a choice and make the decision to work, enlist in adventures, traveling and guys (or girls) night. You probably think this is way more entertaining than listening to the same 10 stories your grandpa likes to tell next to the fireplace.
What I’m getting at here is, where do your priorities stand when it comes to family time? Not just your kids, but your parents and grandparent, and in some cases Great-grandparents.
We all have different family dynamics.
One thing that’s standard is the Love parents have for their children. Like me, you call them after a few weeks of work related craziness and they’re excited. It doesn’t matter what the conversation is about. They just want to hear about you. This is something you will understand as you mature and become a parent yourself. Good parents put so much time, effort and sacrifices into their children that it’s really hard to be separated from them. It doesn’t change much with time. The life lessons don’t stop just because you’re a time zone away. They love you and want to see you thrive, but they also deserve your time.
One thing I’ve come to realize with my dad, is his appreciation of the simple things. I spend time with my dad on a weekly basis. It’s not always something special, we let it be the simple things. Yesterday we spent most of the day together. I wanted to include him in some of my regular weekend enjoyments. It was a day filled with football, (granted he is not a football fan), food, family, chess (his favorite game), more food and just some good ol’ fashion conversation. It turned out to be a spectacular day (except for our team losing!!) without anything out of the ordinary happening. It took me an extra 15 minutes to pick up my dad to include him in our activities and we both parted ways feeling amazing.
The moral to my normal, unproductive un-fancy Sunday:
Include your parents. Let it be the simple things in life to enjoy together. Teach your children to enjoy family, not just on the holidays, but regularly. There is a fulfillment that can’t be understood otherwise. If you can’t see them, call them. Skype, Google Hangouts, Facetime, WhatsAPP, they all allow you to call and video chat. Get it and use it. It will mean the world to your Dad, Mom and Grandparents to show that they are worth your time.