The Best Wardrobe
I was traveling in to my office the other morning under a 2 hour delay for surrounding counties due to fog and...well, weather. The fog was beginning to lift with the morning sunshine as the sunrise crept from behind the dense fog in an attempt to make an appearance. The chill was thick in the air and the frost lay heavy on the ground like a tired old man.
I peered to my right just in time to catch a gentleman wrapped in a heavy flannel coat and boots with hands tucked deep into his jean pockets standing next to what looked like a an over-sized blue marshmallow, but obviously a young child wrapped to the brim with winter wear resembling Ralphie's younger brother, Randy, from "The Christmas Story" (1983) standing no taller than his father's knees out in the slightly-blistering fall morning. In a much-hurried world where we barely make time to brush our teeth, comb our hair, and grab a sliver of toast along with our morning cup of designer Joe before we make the commute to the office spending what once was 1/3, but has since pushed its way to 1/2 our life behind a desk in front of a box or perhaps traveling to another city/state to meet with other people who are sitting behind a desk in front of a box wishing we were back at home, but deluding ourselves into believing that we are doing all of this so that our young ones will "have everything that we never had" when at the end of the day, all they really want is for us to stand beside them at the bus stop in the cold dark of the morning and hold their hand. Now, allow me to elaborate here before you begin yelling at the screen and throwing your coffee at the sink. I am no spring chicken, and I fully realize that it is not always as simple as telling your employer that you need to be at home when your child arrives or that you will not be at work EVERY morning by 8am because your son or daughter doesn't get on the bus until then. This, if nothing more, is homage to the few who both have the opportunity to invest that small amount of precious time in such things, and making the effort to do so.
We wear so many different hats throughout the day that our head hurts by the time we return home. Whether you are serving your community in the medical field, sales, or industry, you work your fingers to the bone and invest so much energy into perfecting your trade to...impress your boss, get that raise, surpass your coworkers, get noticed by the CEO, or maybe it's just because it is the right thing to do and you wish to be a good role model for the next generation, more specifically your own child. I can think of no better wardrobe to wear, than that first of an honest and faithful Husband, but next to be a loving Dad, who will NOT sacrifice what little time we have with our kids for a few more hours at the office. Have you ever heard someone's last words be, "Oh, if only I would have spent more time...at the office." Clothes are nice and projecting a certain positive image is great, but when it comes to your kids, nothing compares to wearing the name tag, "Dad", but then again...that's just my humble opinion.