Every parent says it to their own kids, but my God does time fly. It was ‘yesterday’ that we were bring them home from the hospital; now they are legal adults. Shake my head.

This evening we had some great one-on-one time and we shared laughs and good conversation. I’ve been working through a list of “everything you should at least be aware of” that I sure wish my own dad had done for me. I left home pretty freaking clueless. I shared some of the list with them and they were surprisingly receptive and willing to hear what I had to say. My promise was that these would not be chores, but things that would help them be more well rounded.

I’ve long past covered the easy stuff...shooting a gun, basic car maintenance, etc. This list is more about adulting...how to leave a proper tip, Credit and why it’s so important, things like that.

Anyone who wants to add some ideas, please feel free.

I also gave them a framed copy of Rudyard Kipling’s “If”. I explained to them an adult friend gave me a copy before I left for Marine Bootcamp and that I taped it to the inside of my footlocker and read it often. Somewhere I still have that scrap of paper tucked away.

They were gracious enough to let me read the poem to them out loud, and then I dismissed them back to their video games. (they are still teenagers after all). They hugged me and thanked me and told me that they loved me.

- pause -

Guys, I just cannot come up with the words to describe how incredibly proud I am of them. I was “the worst” teenager, these two are the exact opposite. I supposed parenting goes into that a bit; it’s probably the one thing my ex-wife and I actually did well together, but these two are just really good young men.

Feeling pretty blessed tonight, just thought I would share.

It is a nice feeling knowing that you raised your children well. Good job dad!!!

Congratulations on two great sons and a very Happy Birthday to the boys.

Something kind of amazing happened to me just the other night. I watched my kids band (who has a really great female singer) playing live from the stage of the New Orleans House of Blues. As I watched, the passage of time was very evident. Then it hit me that when the kid was 14, he asked me to buy him a guitar. I was reluctant to do so, since I thought he might strum it a couple of times and then forget it. But I bought it. After the concert, the kid called me. I mentioned buying the guitar. He said, "thanks, I still have it".
Just goes to show that small things you do for your kids can carry over far into their adult lives.
Congrats, Ronin. Sounds like you did a good job.

How wonderful! Glad it has worked out well. My best wishes on their 18th.

flashguy

Small world. My son turned 18 today. It does seem like a blink of the eye, from the day he was born, until today. Time we can never get back.


He’s enlisted in the Army as a combat medic with an Option 40 contract. If all goes well, he will become a Ranger Combat Medic in the 75th Regiment. It’s a long process, but he is motivated.

Seems like just yesterday, he wanted to become a Marine.

quote:

Originally posted by Ronin1069:

I also gave them a framed copy of Rudyard Kipling’s “If”. I explained to them an adult friend gave me a copy before I left for Marine Bootcamp and that I taped it to the inside of my footlocker and read it often. Somewhere I still have that scrap of paper tucked away.

There are two stanzas from "If" I have always referred back to in difficult or complicated times.

The first is:
"If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you"

The second, which fittingly is inscribed over the players' entrance from the dressing rooms to the courts at Wimbledon, is:

"If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same"