Thank God for little girls

Today, I'm sitting in my office thinking of what to write as my 8 month old little girl sits playing happily on the floor. Though at times, she's difficult to handle (right now she's emptying the trash can), I can't imagine life without her. My life has changed dramatically since she was born. I don't have nearly as much time to myself, and I don't get to go out and do as much as I used to. But guess what, I wouldn't give her back, even if I could.

There is just something about knowing that you helped create a person, who is going to grow up and become an adult. There is something about knowing that you are going to teach her almost everything that she knows and that she's going to grow up to be a lot like you. It's a huge responsibility and it's something very serious and should not be taken lightly. Based upon the way that I see many children act, it seems that many parents don't understand the severity of this responsibility. If only they could see their children all grown up, maybe, just maybe, they would give some serious thought to how they treat them.

Actually, I wonder if they would. I've seen this show recently, "Honey We're Killing the Kids" where they use computer generated pictures to show parents what their kids will look like when they're 40 if they continue eating and taking care of themselves the way that they currently are. The parents are always shocked and amazed at what they see. Why? People can't easily visualize the results of their actions long-term (or don't want to). I wonder how many of these families go back to exactly the way they were a month after the show. I'm sure the percentage is high. It's just like any other habit or addiction. A person telling you that it's wrong and a week of trying is just not enough to break most habits. It's more a matter of the way that the parents were raised and the ruts that they have fallen into.

The more you think about it, the more you realize that EVERY decision that you make, regarding yourself or they way you interact with your children will have an eternal effect on their lives. So take life seriously, but never stop having fun.

Matthew