“Where’s your smile Daddy?”
That’s what my little girl asked me the other day as I sat down for dinner. I usually do a good job of switching from work mode to Dad mode, but that evening, the day’s list of to-do’s hung with me for whatever reason.
Running your own business is liberating, meaningful, and fun…but other times, it’s work, it’s decisions, it’s juggling, it’s hoping, it’s finger-crossing — really, it’s life, with all of its blessings and challenges wrapped up together.
And so, when I came to the dinner table without the usual bounce in my step, my daughter noticed. And with a simple question, she wiped away a lot of my day’s concerns. She re-centered me the way only a child can.
After dinner, I took out my guitar and played a few tunes, hoping for music’s therapeutic release. Now, I’m no rock star — I learned how to play a few songs during my college days. It was a perk of spending four years with a roommate who could play everything and play it well.
My little boy sat on the couch next to me as I played a few songs. When I stood up to put my guitar away, he said, “I love your music Daddy.”
Like his sister, he knew I needed a little pick me up. And he picked me up the way only a child can.
Life has its challenges, but if you’re lucky enough to be surrounded by a family in tune with your soul, the mountain before you seems a little less daunting.
And for me, that’s the best Father’s Day present I could ever ask for.