“Every father should remember one day his son will follow his example, not his advice.”
Charles Kettering
Recently, I spent an afternoon assembling a playground toy for my sons.
Piece by piece. Hesitation after hesitation. I bumbled through the process as it slowly transformed from a disorganized mess into a completed masterpiece.
My four-year-old stood by throughout the entire process. Impatiently, he wondered when it would be complete—trying to will the pieces together with his words. Let me tell you, the boy has quite a bit of questioning-stamina. Even after four hours—he was still energized by the potential he saw in the pile of parts.
I get that. I’m the same way.
When I look at my boys, I realize that much assembly is still required. I do my best to help these pieces take shape. To mold them into men. To reveal the beautiful masterpiece. A lot of times, I’ll realize I’ve made mistakes and do my best to take steps back, minimize damage, and keep moving forward.
I’m building up my Fatherhood stamina. Some days, I hit that wall and feel like I need a break, but a second wind is always just around the corner.
It comes in the form of a sweet hug before bedtime. Watching them share and play together. Or witnessing their eyes glimmer with wonder as they see their dad busy doing the precious work of assembly.
