There’s an old saying that if you wait until you’re “ready for kids,” then you will never have kids. Like a lot of old sayings, there’s a lot of truth in that one. Not only are you never ready for kids, you’re never really ready for them to take those next steps in their lives. (Except diapers. You are always ready for them to be out of diapers.) But here’s the catch about those next steps for your kids— they tend to come in sprints instead of slow strolls. Most days, it’s just a matter of holding on as best you can. Life moves so fast that I like to call it parenting on fast forward.
I have been blessed with three sons who each make me proud every day. They are each unique in their own way, and not a day goes by that I don’t marvel at something they do or say. It’s trite and sappy, but they are my greatest accomplishments in this world. Like any self-respecting attorney, I have a brag wall in my office filled with odes to myself, but my true greatness is found in the three blonde kids who share my last time. They each have unique personalities but their sameness is also quite noticeable.
I’m not a man easily impressed, but most days, I marvel at our boys. They are getting older, and in their own ways, they are finding their independence without their dad. I’m not sure how JC went from being the little boy obsessed with Thomas the Train to the young man now taking college visits. Times were simpler when he and I were just flipping on the Higglytown Heroes every morning before daycare. When he was a small boy, Walker was adamant about holding my hand when we got out of the car in public and never left my side. These days, he would much rather hang out with his friends than his Dad. I have to damn near beg him to answer my texts. (Editor’s Note- Walker is a subscriber to this newsletter. I’m sure this entire thing embarrasses him.) Their baby brother Quinn is almost 3 now, and is speech and developmentally delayed. He goes to speech and occupational therapy a couple times a week, and requires a good bit of attention from all of us. Quinn’s personality keeps me young at the same time it ages me (this hairstyle isn’t entirely self-inflicted), and his big brothers are easily his two favorite things in this big ol’ world. Being 3 years old, he needs his parents more than his brothers, but we already see glimpses that he would rather hang with the guys when he can. Seeing my three guys spend time with each other makes all the parenting frustrations worthwhile. They are our boys, and I know they will be there for each other long after their dad takes his last breath on this Earth. Hopefully that day is far away from today, so in the meantime, we will keep making our memories together. We have games to go to, and movies to watch. We have smart ass conversations to have, and yes, we even have eyes to roll. The greatest blessing I have ever received is to be a Dad, so I hope I can fill my role as well as my three sons have filled theirs.
The Flat Land Lawyer and Beyond 