An Epiphany

My wife and I took the children to the park yesterday evening. After the never ending winter; I am very grateful for the Spring season. The sun was shining while a comfortable chill slowly surpassed the threshold of cold.

My kids have been so anxious to get out of the house. Many Utahns are enjoying the first onset of warm temperatures. Although I enjoyed Winter, the Spring season could not come quickly enough. For "baby pearl" it was winter jacket cold. So it was warm; but not cozy.

As I watch my children play, I contemplate their future. I could not help it--I couldn't stop laughing. As a father I thought about their development and tried to gauge where they would be later in life; --I had become overwhelmed with laughter. When thinking about them I think about the funny things they say. Sometimes its not what they say, but how they say it.

It was when I was thinking about the children that I had an interesting epiphany.

"The greatest things in life are free." This epiphany came to me when thinking about what I needed to do to ensure that my kids have a successful life.

There are times when I am too busy to play with my kids. The majority of my day is work, work, work. The majority of my time is dedicated to becoming a good provider for my children. A picture of my family is always on my desk. I like to turn to the right and be reminded of the reason I am busting my chops.

The context of the epiphany lies within my "reason(s)" for the justification of not spending time with my kids. The irony lay within a notion that the very pursuit of providing for my children is what has taken away from my children.

We are experiencing a culture that is choosing to redefine the very essence of the nuclear family. The thought of a woman staying home to take care of her kids has become old-fashioned. Two-income homes have become prevalent in American society.

If the Adversary had a plan--I am sure it would involve taking the mother out of the rearing process. Motherhood is a sacred responsibility whose role is essential to the plan of happiness. "Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children."

If our reason for compromising time with our children is to provide for them; I challenge you to reexamine your thinking. Is your motivation the subtle acceptance of the temptation towards obtaining material wealth and status?. Or is it an authentic approach to meeting the needs of your children?

In my opinion, we live in a culture of excess where we are ruled by our temporal appetites. I understand that there are situations that may require both parents to work--but not lets say that it is "to make ends meet." Upon careful examination I am sure that it is easy to realize that we are in the pursuit of material things. As Americans do we recognize the luxuries that we have been blessed with; or are we in constant envy of our neighbors?

Never underestimate the value of time you spend with your children. To a child, an evening in the park may become a priceless memory. Our children s best interests can be better catered to when as parents we choose not to invest in things that embellish a house, but rather focus our investments towards things that really make the house a home.