A Job Well Done

It has often been said that everyday with your kids is a blessing from God...  Truer words have never been spoken, especially on a day like today.  Today we lost a good one.  Jamie O'Connell, son of Dan and Andrea O'Connell, has moved on from this life and is now brightening the heavens with his light. 

I wish him well on his journey while not forgetting the life he had here with us...  If Jamie has taught us anything, he has taught us that as parents, we must cherish each day with these children God has entrusted to us.  Yes, God entrusted to us...  The law states that we are responsible for our kids until they turn 18, but on that 18th birthday, do we really hand over the deed of responsibility to someone else?  Do we stop loving them any less?  18 is a number between 17 and 19, nothing more, nothing less.  The love we have for our kids is not bound by 18 or any other number, it lives on for eternity.

That being said, along with love comes responsibility.  I sometimes find myself struggling with my responsibilities as a parent while still trying to maintain my ability to pursue my own personal goals and aspirations.  Striking that balance of who you are as a parent and who you are as your own unique self is something I work on everyday.  I do not believe in sacrificing one for another.  Being a caretaker of children 24-7 only breeds resentment, and doing your own thing, forsaking all others is pure selfishness.  Is there a middle ground?  Am I destined for a life of compromise and middle of the road mediocrity?  I do not believe so.  I believe every parent can and should use their own unique personality and talents to enhance and "Bedazzle" their relationship with their kids.  Too much focus has been put on churning out "Perfect Kids".  My goal as a parent has never been to produce "Perfect Kids", rather it is to have a "Perfect" father and son relationship with Nash, a "Perfect" friendship and stewardship for McKenna and Evan.  Are all "Straight A" kids good kids?  Loving and responsible kids?  I do not judge my kids on their report card.  I will ultimately judge them by their strength of character and their ability to love.  If at the end of my journey, I have "Churned Out" kids that have a sense of family, that love others, and know right from wrong, then I will have done my job and done my job well.

Those who knew Jamie, knew that he had a "Sparkle" about him.  He had this twinkle in his eye that sometimes meant love and sometimes meant mischief.  All kids can and will make mistakes on occasion, but from the day he was born to the twilight of his life, Jamie was a kid that had a sense of family, he loved others, and in the quiet of his heart, he knew right from wrong.  He was a job well done.

Well done Jamie.  Well done...