I Love Being A Dad

When I was a young man growing up in the Albany Projects in Brooklyn, New York there were a lot of city and government programs that I could participate in.  These programs were pretty diverse.  They covered everything from sports to art.  As the economy began to turn and corruption became the catch word these programs began to disappear.  The time frame I’m talking about is around the early to middle 1970′s.

One of the things my mom would instill in my sister, brother and I is that we should always cultivate our creative talents.  She felt that our creativity and happiness came from within.  As a painter she lives to expand her creativity.  I remember many times she would take us to the various art museums here in New York City.  We saw many different types of art in many different mediums.  She trained us to view art as some one’s creative expression.  We would view a work of art and enjoy it.  We would discuss whether or not we liked it and what we would do to express the idea differently.    For me, these exercises were fun.  Even to this day, if we’re at the doctor’s office, a restaurant or anywhere there is a painting or other work of art we look forward to enjoying it .

As a positive parent, my mom wants us to think in terms of us not being limited in our thinking. She wants us to believe that we could accomplish anything we want to accomplish and enjoy doing it.  These are the thoughts I’ve tried to pass on to my kids.  I encourage them them to find the thing that they are most passionate about and explore how they would bring that thing to fruition. It a proven fact that people who love their work are usually very successful at it.  I feel that as positive parent it is my job to make sure that their creative juices continue to flow.

I need them to understand that their mind is their only limitation.  It is also important for them to understand that everyone might not be as passionate about that thing as they are.  Peer and parental pressure can be very destructive. We must be very careful about how we critique our kids choices. The wrong words could totally shut them down. Everyone may not want to be a lawyer or a doctor or a scientist.  Being a sanitation or a transit worker are honorable professions.  What ever we do should lead us to fulfilling our passion.

My kids cannot live my life.  We as parents have to accept what dreams we didn’t fulfill and let our kids fulfill their own dreams.  We can not stop them from creating their own future. We also must give them support and encouragement. Who knows.  Our kids passion maybe that one thing that will make the world a better place.

I’d sure like to read your opinion.  Please leave a comment and don’t forget to vote in this weeks poll.

I LOVE BEING A DAD!!.

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