My wife and I got married young and "ran away" to get out of our smallrural town to a large city on the west coast. It was here that I wasgoing to stake my claim and do something great. I was going to retireyoung and live my life famous and happy.
However within the first year of our marriage I was in Thailand and got a call from my young bride, "I'm pregnant."
At first I didn't know what this meant but I soon learned. Lessmoney, no personal time, babysitters, no more carefree life and runningoff when we felt like it.
Those first few years I fell like all my dreams were over and I was now stuck in some mediocre sitcom.
I always said that because I grew up without a father, I was going tobe a good one to my kids, up to this point I was nowhere close to thisstandard.
After some life changing events, I had a change of heart and started to learn of the great importance and task I had as a father.
This weekend I was driving my daughter home from horseback ridinglessons, just dad and daughter hair blowing in the Jeep. My daughterwas excited because she had had a new instructor today, a young womanwho was not married but had "her own horses and lot's of cats."
"I'm not going to have kids when I grow up so I can have horses and live free." she said.
I then pulled the Jeep over and told my daughter that having childrenwas the most exciting and rewarding thing that I have ever done in mylife. I have done things and gone places that I would never have gotto if I wasn't a parent to her. I then began to tell her that becauseof her and her brother, I have become a better person and closer toGod. All because of her and her brother in my life.
It's times like these when the real life lessons come into clear focus,we just have to be aware when they do and be able to act on them.
This incident reminded me of a great song and video by Kenny Chesney, watch this and see if you can relate in your own life. There Goes My Life