If you’re a parent, think of putting aside your own harried life and occasionally accepting the random invitations that come your way. In my case, that’s an invite from my teenager: “Hey, Dad, lets head over to Red Rocks and see the sun come up this weekend!”
Suppressing my instant “Are you KIDDING?!” response, I thought about it, rolled my eyes, and eventually said “yes.” Sure, the getting up at 4:30am, the inevitable LONG midday nap that follows, the exhaustion… it is worth the look of joy on the face, the teaching of the life lesson, that it can be more important to say yes, to be the ‘first follower‘ (don’t miss this video!) can be powerful, life-affirming, and a way to create a stronger bond with those soon to leave the household.
And, just maybe, the sights are spectacular. Leaving aside the gas-powered air blowers and the leftover “aromas” of excessive alcohol and perhaps other substance use of the night before, its good to appreciate how beautiful a life surrounds us.
CMIO’s take? Despite the grumbling from teenagers about “life lessons from Dad … again,” sometimes, “life lesson” come from following your teens, being open and being willing to be surprised by them. Maybe even substitute the phrase “team members at work” for the word “teens.”
Very nice!! And beautiful.
I was fortunate in that my surprise a few weeks ago when I was in call and busy rounding was my 17 year old daughter calling out of the blue to ask “hey Dad, wanna meet for breakfast?” That was at 10am…much easier than 4:30am!
Thx for the great post (and congrats on a year of posting!!)
Dave, isn’t it great when offspring sometimes surprise us? The feeling is indescribable. CT