Vacation and Iron John

My wife and I are on a trip with the kids in La Jolla for a few days. I don't call it a vacation because that would infer "relaxation." If you have kids you know what I mean. Anyway, like so many other tired and strung out parents of young children, I find myself bitching about the gig of child-rearing way more than I should. Today, however, was different. This afternoon I spent a solid ten minutes on the beach making my three month old laugh hysterically for the first time. Later, in the evening, I took my three year old out for a walk in the dark along the ocean and let him throw wet sand at me while he jumped up and down with a youthful excitement. It was then that I realized how awesome "it" is to have them. I remember calling my mom a few months after we had our first child all strung out and asking her 'Why did you do "it"?!' and she put it very simply, 'Because I loved "it".' That was all, she didn't feel the need to say more. I see now that in her own zen-like way she knew that I would figure "it" out and "it" would all make sense. After today, "it" does. I am going to go back and enjoy the rest of my vacation.

this is bryan

fyi...Iron John is a book about sensitive men.