This great Robert Southwell poem is a haunting reminder to all parents: My ancestors are turned to clay, And many of my mates are gone; My youngers daily drop away, And can I think to ’scape alone? No, no, I know that I must die, And yet my life amend not I.
Do you parent according to the unpleasant fact that we will not be here forever, or are you more like Southwell? Are you in denial, struggling to accept the only fact that matters and to amend your life accordingly? When you wake up each morning, when you walk through the front door each night, forget what you were bothered about at work. Forget what is happening in the news. Forget what you and your spouse are fighting about. Be with your kids. Be with your family.
Life is short. Your family is what matters. Your kids are what matters. So forget all the things you’d like to do “someday.” Do them with your kids now.