I had an epiphany today.  It has always been in my nature to mentor.  Advice freely flows from me to help others out.  There is no advantage that I seek and no reason to hold back the life lessons that I have learned over the years.  I always keep my cool and don’t see any reason to panic over over react.  If things are falling apart, I will help pick up the pieces, gather additional data and then help to quickly put things back together.  Failure is not always a bad thing.  But not learning from your failures or not trying because of the fear of failure is tragic.  I help to bring others out of their shells to accomplish things that they never thought were possible.  It brings me joy to see others develop and succeed.

This all said…I don’t know what the heck happens when the same situations occur with my daughter.  I jump down her throat, raise my voice and basically become a bully.

The revelation came to me after I read “Father Forgets” by W. Livingston Larned.  In this letter to his son he relates all the things that happened during the day and how he overreacted.  At the end of the day his son creeps up to him and after snippy “What is it you want?” from the father gets a good night kiss from his son as he then runs off the bed.

This hit me like a rock.  I am that Dad.  My daughter is 10 and she unconditionally loves me even though I put her through hell at times coaching…no…drilling life lessons into her.  I will not measure you against the woman you ought to be but the wonderful child that you are.  I have reconnected with you over the past couple of months that I have been off from work and I am not losing this.  I will not condemn but will be your guide through the rough times.  You are still a child for a little while longer.  I want to see the wondrous things with you through your eyes and share your enthusiasm for exploring the unknown.  I will teach you things that are simple to me but new and challenging and exciting to you.  Everything changes today on July 19, 2013.  I hope that I can be the mentor that a parent should be.  This is my commitment.