Precious Moments

I was talking to a businessman the other day who has amassed a fortune, he is a young millionaire, and has several businesses that he does his best to keep his hands in and manage. It is a more than full time endeavor and one that has consumed his life for years. He said that the only regret that he has is not spending more time with his kids. They are now to the age where they tell him that they really missed him growing up and they wish that they would have had more time with him. It seems that all of the money and provision was really no substitute for his time and love, which to a child is almost the same thing. Someone told me once that children spell love . . .T.I.M.E. Regrets are regrets because there is no way to get the moments back. Once they are gone they are gone. It is a fact that you have to spend a lot of time with your kids to pry the lid off of who they are and discover their personality and beautiful uniqueness. It might take a weekend camping trip just to have a 15 minute conversation that can make the difference in a relationship. The problem is that you can’t schedule those 15 minutes; they just happen. They happen when you least expect it and you have to be there when it happens. The more time you spend with your kids the more likely it is that you will be there when those 15 minutes happen. There has to be a comfort level there that is only developed by spending time and getting to know each other intimately. Knowing their friends, their dreams, their favorite ice cream flavor, their favorite teacher, and many other details that make up the person who is developing right before your eyes.