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Valuable Weekend Time Did I make the most of this weekend? Did I waste any of it trying to be perfect? Did I let her sleep too long for her afternoon nap? After all, we could’ve had another half hour at the park…. I think I gave her the balance of being a, “fun guy” dad, with the one who has structure and manners. She seems to understand that it’s important to listen to daddy when I’m explaining safety rules. But yet, has no problem telling me that she isn’t quite ready to leave the playgrounds yet. A friend asked me what I had planned for this weekend, knowing that I’d have Sage. I don’t usually put much thought into this, unless I get asked. This is when I find myself questioning myself again. I wonder a lot if I’m stimulating her enough, but at the same time, am I pushing too much? I find myself wondering, what is the right balance in our lives. I know it’ll change depending on the circumstances of life in general at any given moment. And that fact exacerbates things even further. So, if we’re able to get up, get her dressed and out the door early, with no issues, then that seems like the beginnings of a pretty good day. And it was. I spent the next 1 ½ hrs parading my daughter around so all could see her. She was my personal support crew for one of my favourite sporting events. I spent this time telling her all about what was going to happen, what to expect, and when she would see me during the race. Her continual questioning was just another way to see she was excited. And that made me so glad I decided to do this, it was more for her to see me race, than for me to actually, “race”. Sage soaked it all up as we made our way around and mingled with friends and other competitors. I think she sensed that everyone there was excited, and ready for a great day. She was also getting excited to play with her friend Natasha. Her dad Tom had agreed to watch her for me while I raced, which was perfect for the girls. It gave me a sense that she’d be having her own adventure at the same time as me. When I was first thinking of doing this, I was worried I was being too selfish and would be dragging her around against her will. That, thankfully, was turning out to be farthest from the truth. I heard her cheering for me from the sidelines as I went by. It was such a good feeling, I truly got the sense that she was proud of me, and that she wanted all to see that I was, “her” dad! When I finished, she came running up to me with arms open, and a big huge smile! The excitement she exuded as she yelled, “Daddy”! That moment…. that was when I knew it was a great idea to bring her. She’ll remember this day. She’ll remember meeting so many friendly people. Seeing so many people achieving something they’re proud of. She’ll remember seeing other people cheering for their daddy’s, and hers. She experienced part of my life that I had always wanted her to. And she did it with me, just me. Next day I find myself wanting to be alone with her. It’s just us, no major groups of people. I know it’s good for her to be with other kids a lot too, so I decide to spend a bit of time at the playground. We head off to the park in her new red wagon. She rides it like a queen. Smiling and saying hi to everyone we pass along the way. She burns up her allotted amount of, “kid” energy running from the slide to the ladder, to the slide then ladder, you get the picture. Not sure how long we were there, but it was long enough for her old man to feel the burn in the legs from lifting and chasing all over the place. Luckily, it wasn’t that hard to convince her it was time to start heading home to eat. After filling our bellies, and abit of a nap, it’s time for our alone time. We head out to Gibbons Park to kick the soccer ball around. This is when all time stops and it’s just her and I. Laughing and running, with not a care in the world. I crave this, and it is starting to look like she does too. This goes on for an eternity, and a fraction of a second at the same time. But, it feeds the emotional memory bank of a father and daughter on a warm summer day. We always seem to end up, by the waters edge. One of my favourite things to do is spending time throwing rocks into the river. That’s the key phrase here, “spending time”. It is so valuable, it truly is priceless. I wouldn’t trade anything for this. Even though I’ve found myself wondering if we should spend more time with other kids, I think I’ve been able to strike an even balance this weekend. I didn’t waste any time being overly planned. We rolled with the moment. And that feels like another great value I’ve taught my daughter. She’ll be able to see that there’s time for play, no matter if you’re 3 yrs old or 30 something. Did I waste a moment of this weekend? Not a second! Did we make the most of this weekend? You bet we did! Shawn Reeder |
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