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Hey Dad,

If I were given the choice of drinking motor oil or playing charades, I'd choose the motor oil. With that little insight, let me say that I played charades with my children the other night. It was Ike's idea (age 4).

I didn't want to. Boy, did I not want to, but I put my "wants" aside and said, "Sure Ike, let's play charades."

He loudly proclaimed to everyone that we were going to play and then we did. They laughed, I laughed, and we had a good time.

Now take today. Outside, there is an 8-to-10-inch blanket of pure, untouched snow. Instead of admiring its beauty, all I can think of is that the kids are going to ask me to play in it with them. I'll have to leave the comfy confines of our house, shed my sweatpants, and suit up for toe-numbing

snow play. I know that they love it when I go out and tromp around the back yard with them, build snow forts, and have a snowball fight, but to me it sounds about as good as playing charades … in the snow.

Here's my point: fathering never gets easier—ever.

I don't like playing games anymore this year than I did last year. I'd still rather sit inside on a snowy day while the kids go out and play by themselves. When they want to linger and talk in bed, I still want to rush through the routine and get on with my life.

I wish I could say now that every time they ask me to do something, I cheerfully answer, "sure!" but that's not the case. Fathering is a definite act of the will to do what's best. My natural bent is to do what's easiest … and that's not good fathering.

AND it will never get easy. It will never come naturally. I will always have to choose to do what's right.

Bummer.

Enough about me. How about you? Have your kids been asking you to go sledding, build a snowman, go to the mall, read a book, work a puzzle, build a model, or one of a million other things that kids love to do with their dads? Of course, it's not easy … it may not even sound fun. But you 'da dad! So bite the bullet and do it.

Well, gotta go suit up. We're headed outside for some cold, snow-down-your-boots, family fun!

You 'da dad,

©Copyright Todd Wilson, 2004. Used by permission.

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