Dad with a G

I have a dad. Most likely, you do too. I have a good dad. I hope you can say the same.

When we have a good dad, we easily utter this familiar line to our prayer: Our Father who is in heaven… When your dad has been everything but good, however, that line can stop you cold.

I have two boys, and I hope to be a dad who helps, not hinders, their prayers. Most days, I don’t have a foggy clue what that means. When it comes to parenting, it’s mostly holding hands with your mate and praying for mercy. But one thing that comes with the “good dad” kit is this: generosity.

Generosity doesn’t mean giving your kids whatever they want. That’s a sure-fire way to raise a hellion who comes running into the room screaming bloody murder and demanding that all present dote on them like they were a little emperor (sorry, flashback). Rather, generosity means that we are open-hearted, that we are quick with mercy, that we see the best in our kids even when it’s oh-so hard to see (and it’s often oh-so hard to see).

Generosity also means we’re easy on ourselves. We’re going to screw-up. We’re going to loose our cool. We’re going to say that ridiculous thing all parents say – but is undeniably lame. But we also know that we’re surrounded in generous love, so we’re going to be okay. And the kids are going to be okay too. And we tell them so, we love them so.