Fatherhood, like marriage, is a constant struggle against your limitations and self-interests. – Kent Nerburn
It hasn’t really occurred to me that ‘working on my fatherhood’ is similar to ‘working on my marriage’ but it makes sense. I’ve learned that if I just do what comes natural in my relationship with my wife Robbie, things soon go to hell. But if I just do what comes natural to me as a dad, can expect trouble in my relationships with my kids? Probably not as quickly as with Robbie, and maybe not ‘trouble’ always but a growing distance at least.
I feel a little bad about one of my twenty-something sons right now. He’s been bugging me the past month to meet him for breakfast before he goes to work, but it’s not been convenient for me because he lives 45 minutes away and goes to work very early. And then last week I found out he got fired from his job. And I’ve not even talked to him on the phone about it. “Hey, I’ve been busy!” I tell myself.