not just for them, but with them

My life changed forever tonight. "That my kids know that I love them is not enough. I want them to know that I love to be with them," Laetitia said.

To play, to laugh, to love. Such are the desires I have for my own children. For them to be able to have the best in life, they have to have the best of me, and my best is not just being around them, but being with them. My best is not just doing for them, but doing with them. My best is not just applauding them after the big game, but cheering for them during the game. My best is not just providing for them, but creating with them. My best is not just hearing what they do say, but listening to what they don't say. My best is being their hands-on-number-one-fan, making sure that they know I am there before the game starts, every moment of play, all the way to the high five I give them on the way to the car. My best is putting them first and foremost in every move I make.
There is a magic in laughter that inspires love and encourages play. You can laugh without loving, but I doubt you can love without laughing. Likewise, you can play without loving, but you can't love without playing. How unfortunate that the majority of Americans believe that hours worked=level of success. We forget to enjoy the important things, using our obsession with trinkets as a replacement for good ol' fashioned time with loved ones. Let's put fun back into the budget.

Here's to the future. May it be full of productive play, rather than just hard work.