I have the pictures in wrong. the top one is Mark David our youngest Son.
This is Jack the eldest of the two.
This is the boys and us in Cuba, on GITMO, the Ferry is in the back ground.
The boys BBQ'ing inKey WEst.
At Jack's boot camp graduation in Orlando (Yeah, Debbie they wer KISS fans).Today's exciting entry!
To a simpler time, to a time when the boys were kids and the cutest boys in the world. Yeah, we have had a great life but like every other family in the world we had our rough times. But when we were 'family' life was great. I remember reading some 'author' who was a childhood expert. I was supposed to be a buddy to my boys. Do things together the word was 'share some QUALITY time with your boys. I was going to be the best dad in the world, much better than my dad who didn't spend a whole lot of 'QUALITY' time with me. (WHAT A LAUGH!)
Yeah as I read all this great advice from someone I did not know I reveled in the fact that daddy only took me hunting once. He only took me swimming once. How could he have been so negligent!
In their youth I took them swimming. Taught them how to make a kite etc. As the boys grew we took them fishing. We took them deep sea fishing on 'Our Boat'. Heck I was their pit crew as they won race after race in motor cross. They won so many trophies we had to get rid of the smaller ones to move. Hey I was there at 'Little League'. I was there at bowling. I was so good, so much better than my daddy who done none of that. Heck Daddy was a slacker.
REALITY SETS IN WHEN THEY GROW UP. Why did I think those Dr.'s that gave all that great advice was so smart? It all sounded so wise. I started looking back at my youth and teen years. Did I want my Daddy around me all the time? NO! I needed a dad not a buddy, I had plenty of those. As my boys grew I lost the handle I thought I had. Things did not go like the Dr. said they would. As I said, REALITY set in and I began to think for myself, and do a little comparing. Who raised a boy who at 17 took a wife and responsibilities of marriage seriously. Who raised a boy that never caused him a legal problem? Who raised a boy that loved and respected his dad as much as a son can? My dad did that is who.
So, now our boys are grown. We are extremely proud of them. They are good dads. I hope they are better than I was. I love those boys and am so very proud of them. I have accepted the fact that times are different and methods of raising children are different with each generation. My sons are facing situations I never faced. Life is tough raising a family. Life is tougher raising a family when there is only one parent.
Thanks for coming this way.
NIte Shipslog
PS
As income tax time approaches,
did you ever notice:
When you put the two words
'The' and 'IRS' together, it spells
'THEIRS'
? *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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5 comments:
Brother you were and still are a great Dad. We had the best Daddy in the World. His profession as a Minister required time and attention to people. We as children knew we were loved and didn't require a lot of discipline because we knew what was expected of us. We all turned out good. I might add you are
a wonderful Grand-Dad. Maybe be all need
counceling for having good parents. LOL Today's
world is very difficult and different place for any age.
Shirl
Good words of advice from you and Shirl. I can never remember having a conversation with my Daddy but our roof didn't leak and we had good food on the table. That was important to him. I'm sure he and my Mama would think the silly words I write here is pure gibbrish.
I bet if you were to have talked to your dad, he would have wondered if he was a good dad or not. I think we as parents always wonder if we did the right thing raising our kids and what different things we should have done. I'm convinced if you get a kid through high school without being arrested or involved in drugs or alcohol, you've done good. (oops, lacking here, LOL). Parenting is hard work. I do think there are more challenges out here these days; so much technology that wasn't even in people's imagination when we were growing up.
From what I read and know of you, I believe you and Sherry were great parents!! Your kids/grand kids enjoy being around you; that speaks for itself :)
betty
You know Jack and Sherry, there is no one on this earth that feels more of a failure on child raising. than I do. At least with the youngest one. I tried to hard to make up for his dad being dead and me having to work. You did a good job with your boys because it was not just you. It was you and Sherry as a team, My 4 Peterson's even though divorced we, their father and I worked together to solve any problems that came up that were serious. Like Paula My dad was a huge figure in my life but I didn't really feel I could talk to him , BUT I knew he was there and If I needed him, he was there. Regret would kill me with my youngest son if a person could die from it. Never fear you and Sherry have been a good example for the kids. If there is one thing I have learned you can never "go back".
I think we all look back on raising our kids and see things that we feel we should have done differently but if we could change things the outcome may have been much worse than it is. You can only give so much guidance and hope for the best because each of us at some point is going to spread our own wings and become an individual with a mind of our own. I give a lot of credit for the way my daughter turned out to my own parents, I didn't do it alone and I failed quite miserably at times and I did it without a book by some author who probably never had any kids of their own. Being a parent is a lesson you learn the hard way by experiencing it yourself.
I love the pictures of your boys when they were babies, they were really cute. I never had a KISS shirt, I'm jealous! Rock n Roll!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HAHAHAHA
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