Lord of the Castle

Yesterday, I set up the children’s beds. On the way to school this morning, both my son and my daughter separately remarked how good it was to sleep in a bed. They have been sharing an air mattress for the past 8 months.

As I returned home, I reflected on what outstanding young people God has given me. These two have moved from the house that they have lived in their entire life to a small 1 BR apartment in a new state. They have gone from being home schooled to attending high school (my son-public, my daughter-private). They have had to work together with their mother to work out travel arrangements and times since they only had one car between them. They have lived without their father in the home for the first time.

Despite all of this, they have excelled in their schoolwork, raised the moral standards in their peer groups and grown spiritually. And they did it all without complaining. I made a point tonight at the dinner table to tell them how proud I am of them.

When I parted company with my children after picking up the Nissan, neither they nor I were feeling ‘warm fuzzies’. They were chastened and I was attempting to regain my equilibrium. I was not angry with them. But I did not feel any compunction to patch things up quickly and smooth things over nicely. It would have been insincere.  It would have been false.

As young adults, they need to see the consequences of their actions. They need to realize that their lives affect other people and this will only increase as they move into the next phase of life. This afternoon, each of them had made unintentional mistakes that affected someone else.

As I drove home from the Apple store, I mentally prepared for meeting my children. I realize that this is not their character. It is an aberration. They are still young and prone to immaturity. However, I am ALWAYS looking for “teachable moments.” They would have time to reflect on the afternoon’s events. What could I teach them today that would help them? What mark could I make?

Well, when I got home, I was actually impressed with what I said.