January 2, 2010: Evening Satisfaction

At various turns today things were a bit out of sort with the kids, but life, not existing in a vacuum, throws us those moments as ways to keep us sharp. At least that is the way this Zen Daddy wants to perceive it in order to celebrate learning lessons rather than waste chances.

Encouraging today meant complimenting, thanking, challenging, maintaining boundaries, flexing others, focusing more, breathing deeper, thinking faster, thinking less. The site here, the time writing, the fact that this is happening is in a way--hold on my little one is calling for me

"Daddy, my ear hurts." He is crying. We hold him, my wife and I, and start to talk about the day, his off moments, his hurts, we use a flashlight to look at his ear, his teeth--it dawns on us...new teeth, earache--he says his ear hurts. No guidebook comes with being a parent. We hold him, we comfort him--he wants blueberries. Fortunately, we are at grandmom and grandpa's and they, of course, has some yummy ones. We look at one another, we try the old standby of children's Tylenol (he has no fever however)--and you know, it's all of this life happening, and I bet that while they carried water, practiced forms, meditated, cleaned the temple and just searched for nirvana that the Zen masters of old did not have to take care of three children and keep them safe from the monsters pouring out of every newspaper and television. Whew! A lot to work on--a lot to balance. Balance is a key factor in all of this--as a parent, a Zen Daddy, everythign. Anything you want to be out there. Learning to balance.

It was a day full of many lessons, and I learned some new ones, especially the one about making sure to focus on others and take the extra effort in daily life to encourage others; I did not miss the fact that the word" courage" is living in there as well. Attaining peace and harmony in one's life--emotionally, socially, spiritually, etc takes courage to dare. Applying this to how you treat the ones you love takes even more courage, and patience as well. Like being a parent, it's a process and will not happen overnight.

Gotta go..my little boy needs his Daddy.
Have a peaceful night.

Zen Daddy