Inspirational Parenting » Fatherhood

To Summer at Eighteen

Steve Meineke — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 01:41:50 +0000

November 1994

Dear Summer,

Eighteen years ago I stood looking at you—fresh-born—through the big glass window in the hospital nursery, watching the nurses try to count your tiny toes. Minutes old, you were bright-red-screaming-at-the-top-of-your-lungs unbounded life, squirming and kicking in every direction—quite a challenge to those toe-counting nurses. How I wanted to reach through the window, to [...]

Loving Summer

Jeff — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 06:19:21 +0000

I think summer is the by far the best time of the year! Not just because the weather is warm and the days long. I love it because my daughter is home all day long. Now, for some people that may not be exactly a good thing but I really believe it [...]

Don’t Try To Outsmart Your Dad!

Admin — Fri, 21 May 2010 01:15:37 +0000

A teenage boy had just passed his driving test and inquired of his father as to when they could discuss his use of the car.

His father said he’d make a deal with his son: ‘You bring your grades up from a C to a B average, study your Bible a little, and get your hair [...]

Savor the Teachable Moments

uguilford — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 05:01:42 +0000

I recently had an inspiring parenting moment with my 3 year old daughter and I learned once again to savor the teachable moments with my [...]

While Like A Giant, Proud And Happy

Jeff — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 05:21:02 +0000

Tonight I am up late… remembering. I love the power of memory as it intertwines with emotion to form a temporary reality. In quiet solitude, this gift of memory allows me to sit for awhile with my mother who passed away many years ago. It gives me glimpses into moments I will forever cherish and allows [...]

Fireworks and Memories

Jeff — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 05:54:05 +0000

She is sitting on my lap as we gaze into the night sky. This may be the last year she will be willing to do that. She’s growing up so fast and pretty soon snuggling with Daddy will be embarrassing rather than comforting. She lays her head against my chest and I smile. Above us, [...]

What Makes a Great Mother or Father? The Little Things

Taz — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 04:41:33 +0000

When I was in my twenties, my gaze was always focused on the big things—finding the “perfect” partner, the “to-die-for” job, the “huge” book deal, or getting into the “best” graduate school. Little things didn’t matter much; they were unnecessary distractions that I treated as rounding errors. I either ignored them or focused on what [...]

Childhood Doesn’t Wait

Jeff — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:42:42 +0000

“When I was around thirteen and my brother ten, Father had promised to take us to the circus. But at lunchtime there was a phone call; some urgent business required his attention downtown. We braced ourselves for disappointment. Then we heard him say [into the phone], ‘No, I won’t be down. It’ll have to wait.’

“When [...]

Empty Yesterdays

Jeff — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:27:05 +0000

My daughter loves to watch musicals. It is one of our favorite things to do as a family. Even as young as 5, she was captivated by every musical she watched (expect for Footloose for some reason). The other night, we got blankies and piled on our bed to watch The Music Man. I was [...]

Letting Go

Jeff — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 04:29:10 +0000

Little shoes, little clothes and a huge Mickey Mouse backpack. She is ready to go to school. We get in the car and already I feel a little sad because she will not be with me today. I won’t hear her little laugh and see that priceless smile. I won’t have any owies to fix [...]