I watched something unfold in front of me the other day while I sipped my Americano at Sorrentos. I was at my usual table, with my usual stuff doing the usual thing when something very sadly usual happened.
A father and son came in together, they ordered, picked up their drinks and sat down together.
That was the end of together.
The father, mid thirties, and the son, seven or eight, sat together doing nothing together.
As the small boy looked out the window and fiddled with his cup the dad did who knows what on his shiny new BlackJack.
For fifteen minutes they sat there not together. It broke my heart.
There was some small talk.
Dad: "Hows your drink?"
Son: "Good."
Dad: "Good."
Back to the BlackJack.
This morning as I held my daughter (six months and one day old) in my arms I promised to never let those precious valuable moments slip by me! In eighteen years she will most likely walk out of our home and into a new life. I don't ever want to look back and regret being more interested in my toys (trust me I love my stuff) and wish I had set something down to invest that fifteen minutes with her. 
1 comment:
Josh, I'm so glad you feel that way about Abby. Children are so precious, and so small for such a short time. It goes much too quickly.
A mother at Lesleigh's school said one day, "I'm so glad I got the dvd player in the car. Now I don't hear one word out of my kids while we are driving." I looked at her and said, "Are you kidding? The car is the one place I've got their undivided attention. I use the time for everything from math lessons (how far are we going? How long will it take?) To life lessons..." The discussion went on for a while, but I never pursuaded her to my way of thinking.
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