I Wish Dad Was There...

Yesterday was Senior Sunday. Tonight was Taylor's basketball banquet - the last of 6 years' worth of football, basketball, and all-sports banquets. Prom is next week and graduation a month away. The days are dwindling in the high school chapter of our baby boy's life, and my time as a proud dad in the bleachers has come to a close.

As I reflect on the dozens of youth soccer and little league baseball games, the dozens of Jr High and High School football games, and the literally hundreds of basketball games Taylor has played over the past 12 years, I still have the pencil printed page from a journal his first grade teacher had her students keep...

Yesterday I hade A Soccer Game. I did prety Good. The Game was A Tie One to One and I made That one Goll. I wish dad was There Becose that was first goll I made this seson.

I wish dad was there...

I had been gone that weekend to a retreat at Camp Tahkodah in Arkansas with some friends from college. It was a time of renewal and I don't regret having gone, but those words have always stuck with me. I wish dad was there...

I have missed very few of the athletic or other activities either of my kids have participated in. Until Lauren went to Pepperdine, the only race I did not see her run was when I was in Russia. I made the trip to California to see her run at least 2-3 times each of her four seasons at Pepperdine, and was online every Saturday afternoon to see the results of her races on the west coast. I have spent more hours than I can count and have driven all over the metroplex to get Taylor to practices and games with select basketball teams.

It is hard to describe the pride and pleasure of a father observing the performance and the efforts of his children as they contribute to an athletic team, a choir, a Destination Imagination team, a youth group. It is sad to realize that I will no longer be able to see those things, while at the same time there is a sense of pride in his accomplishments and an excitement for this next chapter in his life.

I wish Dad was there...

There have been many milestones already in the lives of both my children as well as in Barbara's and mine as a couple. I have made a commitment to be there as they have faced decisions about school, about work, about all those little things that occur on a daily basis. I have had the privelege of baptizing both of my children. I hope I have demonstrated to them how I love their mother.

I wish Dad was there...

To the best of my ability, those words will not ever be written or even thought by my children while I am alive and well. Yet, knowing the frailties of human nature and the uncertainty of life on earth, I acknowledge that it may happen. But I can rest easy knowing that neither they nor I will ever have to say "I wish my Father was here". Jesus said it once on the cross and ensured that we would never have to.