By Glenn A. Hascall
Oh what a wretched father I am. I feel free to say that because a little confession really is good for the soul.
Maybe you've experienced the same phenomenon - you are either on an important phone call or have had a very busy day and all your little munchkins want to do is maul you and tell you about their day. They all speak at once and your brain function reaches a low spot as your tolerance level reaches critical mass.
This is usually followed by much wailing and gnashing of teeth (mostly mine), as my children run screaming through the house wondering why The Hulk has shown up - and what exactly did he do with Daddy.
I've always maintained that if they would simply give me fifteen minutes to decompress when I get home I would be much more agreeable to listening to all the grand stories of the day - each more important than the last. Yet, this request falls on childish ears that have simply been waiting too long to share some incredible news.
They have test scores to tell me about and the little boy at school that likes to find ants to crawl on his arm. My son wants to tell me about the playground incident - complete with battle scars on his knee and an equally fascinating tale of valor to go with it. There are disputes they want me to settle and lament if judgment is passed in opposition to their hope. In the end I become an odd mixture of Dr. Phil and Judge Wapner.
So when my skin starts turning green and my muscles bulge from frustration, The Hulk in me must think about the desires of small children and I find renewed gratitude in knowing that they want to share their greatest memories with me. In fact. they are certain the sharing can't wait. And just what do I do with the treasure? I treat it like common trash to be disposed of as quickly as possible.
So I ask for forgiveness as I loose my greenish hue, put on a new shirt and embrace the role of guardian of a unique treasure. The stories are priceless and the smiles are etched in aging gray matter.
Unseen moments pass by too quickly and in the end I want to be a part of my family's life more than I want to climb to the top of a corporate ladder that often leads further away from being resident storyteller, wrestling partner, study partner, active listener or correction officer.
You see, there are certain perks to standing guard.
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