Everything I do, as it turns out, is teaching my kids something. Few things frighten me as absolutely as that immutable fact. Teaching a child how to be an adult may well be the most important thing a man does, and the fruit of one’s labor is constant company, so we get to walk with the mistakes we make every day. Fatherhood, for the wiser men out there, can be as much a self-refining process as it is shaping our young sons.
And so when we went to the beach on the weekend, the water was a little rough, so I decided to go for a run in that deep, unforgiving sand furthest from the water. Kwamane wanted to come along, so we set out at an easy pace. Easy is not a word best-equipped to describe any element of this particular experience. Simple physics explains the phenomenon in which a 215lb man giving a maximum effort in deep and loose sand yields a dismal return. One hundred yards takes an eternity, and a quarter mile will leave you breathless, legs and lungs on fire, and wishing you had settled for lying on the beach rather than running on it.
I wanted to quit so badly, but Kwamane kept looking at me, examining me for weakness, wondering if I would break, and for his sake, far more than foolish pride, I simply couldn’t let him down. I put one foot in front of the other and refused to stop. As we got closer to Ana, Cole, and the girls, Kwamane started to run faster. I had nothing left until he looked back and yelled, “Come on, Dad!” At that point, I decided there would be at least some honor in dying, but I was not going to quit on my son. I ran as if his life depended on it.
Some folks think we are nuts, even irresponsible, for having kids at my age.
I have been an athlete my entire life, but I have never been in better shape than I am now. It’s all because of my wife and kids, and being a good example to them. It has nothing to do with vanity; it’s about improving and maintaining a high quality of life for as many years as God gives me. It’s about being a good steward of the body God gave me by eating good quality food, being active, and saying no to comfort and yes to challenges. It’s about enjoying life with my family and not sitting on the sidelines just watching them.
I think this is one lesson they will learn that will serve them well in life. They are all athletes, they prefer to be active rather than sit around, they all have a tremendous work ethic, and they prefer eating healthy foods because it makes them feel better. I’ve made plenty of mistakes in the parenting department, but this is something they have learned by our example that I am happy about.
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