be a good parent

Today, before I left for work, I found my 4 year old daughter’s make up applicator (to her Barbie Blush.) She had been looking for it in the morning, and even came to me to ask “Dad, do you know where this thing that goes in this thing is?”, as she showed me the blush container. (It also doubles as a secret agent decoder, so she says.) I had not seen it, and so told her no. She was very disappointed, and her little head sunk into her shoulders as she turned to walk away. Later that afternoon, as she was napping, I saw under my desk a small, beige disc with the word “Barbie” on it. Sure enough, I had found what she had been looking for! I had to leave for work, but wanted to give it to her myself to show that I cared that she found it. So, I taped it to notepaper, with a written note that read; “Dear Olivia, I found this under my desk and thought that you might want it to powder that beautiful button nose of yours. Oh, and I know you might need it for all of your secret agent stuff too, but SHHHH, I won’t tell anyone. Have a great day, and I will see you for breakfast in the morning!”
I received a phone call from my wife after my daughter found the note. She was smitten with the note, and was walking around the house holding the note close to her heart, hugging it like she was hugging her daddy. “Daddy wrote me a note”, she kept telling her mom, in an excited voice.

When I started this, I thought about the 43 things that I wanted to do. I wanted to do this with patience to make sure that I was selecting things that I “really” want to do that will make a difference to me. When I saw the link for “being a good parent” it had to be on of my 43 things. I feel the same way that another patron feels about her responsibilty to raising childen. It’s their turn now. Part of me feels guilty even wanting 43 things for myself now. As my children giggle in the background, taking turns jumping in a pile of pillows, I wonder how important it really is for me to travel the world, or write a book, or any others that I may come up with. Being a good parent will be moved to the top of my list after writing this entry, because it is their futures that are at stake here. Their innocence depends on me to help shape them into the people that they will become. With much hope, I hope that they learn enough from me that they never need to sit in a room and contemplate what they want to do with the rest of their lives. In sitting here, I have just made up mind…I want to continue to be a good parent, a good friend, and give my children all the opportunity in the world.