I am finally ‘home,’ safe and sound, with the family. Needless to say, I am really happy to be back. In fact, as I write this, I am also entertaining Benjamin, my 7-month old son. I am sitting on my bed, trying to keep him from squirming off the bed, keeping him entertained with blocks and toys.
I met my family in the airport, all dressed up and screaming. And they were excited too. It was great to get back to them… the girls won’t leave my side and it seems that even little Benjamin knew who I was. But there is some getting used to having Daddy around. Rebecca was ready for me to pick up some of the slack, and the girls have to get used to some new ‘Daddy Rules’ around the house. I have been doing my best, picking up the responsibility for early mornings with the kids and some of the running around for errands…
But it will still take some time to get back into a family groove, especially since I will be doing some long-distance commuting for the next 2 months until my Air Force time comes to an end. I will also try and pick up my blogging and my fledgling web design business.
What struck me as I returned is that I realized that it is extremely important for a family to have stability and leadership. Not that Rebecca hasn’t been a rock for 7 months, but there is still something to be said for a father, and for the combined power of a mother and father. Without some sort of stability, a family is continually tossed back and forth, passively reacting, running from one event to the next, one emergency to the next. Instead, with leadership and a mission (or goal, or destiny or whatever you want to call it) a family can move actively, with a set agenda and with a vision . I find that we are most chaotic, most haphazard and frazzled as a family, when we are simply reacting to events. Instead, we have to purposefully set out with a end goal in mind. That will be my first mission when I return to full-time “Father” duties in August.