Hello son,
Some mornings you'll just feel a little more contemplative than others. Today is one of those for me. There's a song I really love - you can look it up - "souvenirs", by Switchfoot. It's a reminder of how temporary everything is. My college memories are suddenly far in the rearview mirror of my life. How did that happen???
Some people are met with sadness when they realize that they are aging, and I'm really no exception. One third of my life has already passed! In every sadness, however, there springs hope. You, son, are the hope and the joy that mitigates the sadness of aging. In your growing life I place my own hopes for the future, for a better tomorrow on the Earth that God has given to us.
I hope to make your childhood one that is full of joy, great memories, and daily learning. I hope to launch you into adulthood as someone confident, capable, and compassionate. My own life trajectory is settling into place, and most of the big questions have been asnwered. Yours, however is just beginning to unfold, just like your little fingers unfold to grasp for a toy or a necklace when offered to you.
In each stage of life, we learn a little more about the marvelous adventure of grace that God has laid out for us in "the land of our sojourn" (another very deep song you must listen to, by Rich Mullins). I sure did miss home cooked breakfast and the daily encouragement of my parents when I left for college, but independence, responsibility, and great friendships made up for it. After entering the workforce, I missed the freedom and fun times of college, but the joy of marriage and the challenge of building a financial foundation made up for it.
And after having my first baby (YOU!), I sure did miss sleep. I missed having alone time with my wife. I missed the freedom to go play golf, or to have a few cocktails. As you grow, however, those things that I miss are quickly receding into irrelevance. You smile, you laugh, you giggle with joy as I fly you around the room. You grab at our Mardi Gras beads, shaking them playfully like a true New Orleanean. You sleep peacefully, like a little angel, as I leave for work in the morning. These moments are the greatest joys I have ever experienced, and they cover the memories of colic and sleepless nights with a deep, abiding joy. I have learned that the requirements for genuine fatherhood are steep, but the inner peace and joy of leading a godly family is incomparable.
This, I believe, is what the ancient writer of Ecclesiastes finally grasps at after his years of searching. To fear God and obey his commands is the whole duty of man. Honoring that duty is what brings fulfillment - more than any pleasure, any riches, or any temporal pursuit under the sun. Honoring that duty looks like a man, leading his household in godliness, honored and uplifted by a wisely-chosen wife, blessed each day by his growing children, in a family unit that together brings glory to their Creator.
I love you, son, and I'm loving every minute of watching you grow up.
-Dad/Mr. Gator
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