Hey guys! It's Dad. You know, our society has created unrealistic, unhealthy, and ultimately unattainable goals for us. It is constantly pushing us to be more than we are today; to be bigger, to be stronger, to be more wealthy, to be more powerful, to be smarter...to be the boss. I want you to know that you don't have to listen to society. In fact, I'd hope that you turn away and choose your own path. You don't have to play that unwinnable game. You can be yourselves and find joy in your days today, and in your future. You can bring joy to others lives, today, and in the future. I want that for you. You know that I often dream at night, but I don't often have happy dreams. Well last night I had a really peaceful dream; a dream that taught me something, and it made me smile. There was a father speaking to his son. The father loved his son and wanted nothing more than to help his son achieve happiness and success. Their conversation went something like this. Father: "Hey son! What do you think you'd like to do when you're older? What interests you? What kind of job do you see yourself doing when you're older so that you can be successful and happy in your life?" Son: "I don't know Dad. I guess I like dancing. I like football too. I kinda like art, like painting and stuff. Oh, and I want to fly!" Father: "Well those are great interests! Are those things that you'd like to pursue now, or in the near future? Did you want Mom and I to sign you up for some art classes, or to play football?" Son: "No, thank you." Father: "Well, if you want to succeed; if you want to really create a comfortable and happy future for yourself, we might want to look into it sooner rather than later. We can set it up for you. Think about it. Do you want to be a big fish in a small pond, or do you want to be a big fish in the ocean?" Son: "I'm not a fish, dad. I'm a bird. I want to fly. I really just want to fly" Then the Dad just hugged his son tightly and told him, "Then you go fly, little man! You go fly!" I know it's a bit of a crazy dream, but it spoke to me. It reminded me how important it is to be yourself! You don't have to strive for the old "American Dream." You can make your own American dream. You can live in a bus at the beach and surf all year long. Heck, you could video yourself doing it and probably earn a comfortable living; a happy, peaceful living. You could open a nursery and teach people how to grow and cook their own food. You could work for the president, and maybe knock some sense into him. Just keep your spirit plugged in all the time. Make sure that the path you're taking leads to peace within yourself. Make sure that you let yourselves fly! Your Mom and I are the end of an era. We're the end of the era that taught us to "Do well in school, then go to college, get married, buy a house, have kids, then retire and enjoy your golden years." By "Golden Years" they mean when you're old. It's sad to say, but sometimes those golden years never "seem" to come. But the only way that those very best years won't come is if you keep looking into the future to find them. The Golden Years; they are here right now. Enjoy your lives right now. Explore your interests now. Of course those interest will probably change, but those are healthy changes. If you're a fish, I hope you swim in the ocean. And if you're a bird, then I hope you fly to wherever your heart takes you. I love you boys. Love Dad
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AuthorAs a father of two sons, I have often wavered between feeling the burden of raising two strong, intelligent, compassionate young men and the privilege of doing so. Archives
May 2017
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