This is Daily Dadspeak—daily reflections on becoming a dad, while still growing up myself. You can find the full mini-pod audio list here.
When I dropped my second child off school this morning, he gave me a hug, and then we played wave tag. This is where every few steps he turns and waves, sometimes making silly faces, until our final wave as he disappears through the glass door.
These moments melt my heart. It’s like the whole world disappears. It’s just me and him, having our own little silent dialogue, making faces at each other, not caring who’s looking.
It can also bring a feeling of sadness, thinking about how fast the kids are growing up. But at least for today, I’m happy that he’s still little enough to want to wave back.
And then I think: what if this is the last time? What if for some reason tomorrow or the next day I don’t walk the kids to school because of a change in routine, or something even worse. Of course, these thoughts can be very painful. But it also can bring a very intense clarity of the importance of just being there every moment with your kids, every chance you get.
The ancient stoic philosophers often practice these last time meditations to bring awareness to the fact that everything does eventually come to an end. And while this can bring sadness, it can also be a very acute reminder of the importance of just being there. It’s something that I try to keep in mind, and thought I would share with you.
→ I’ve spent more than 600 hours walking with my kids to school. Walk with us, and find your time.
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