There are some days when being a parent feels like the hardest job on earth. Your kids fight over finger puppets, a little tangled hair leads to a major meltdown and if the milk’s not in the purple cup, you’re just not going to win. You end the day defeated, depleted and emotionally wiped, with a headache that makes you wonder if your left eye is caving in.
Today was one of those days.
When the kids crashed on the way home from my mother-in-law’s tonight, the minivan hummed with the sweetest silence and my eyes started to leak as I thought about my dad. He’s managed my meltdowns for many years, and I have never truly thanked him for that.
My dad somehow found a way to raise four happy kids and make it look easy. Tonight, as I wondered where he learned to do that, I decided that someone must have set a good example in his life.
It’s a gift to inherit a little parental patience from your first teachers, but it’s oh-so-hard to keep your cool when you’re tested, isn’t it?
Thanks, Dad, for lighting the way and Happy Father’s Day, Liz
