What we pass on

There are many things we pass on to our kids... some on purpose and some by accident.

Kids are like a sponge and really do absorb all around them. It's fascinating to see my kids speaking in tones that I use and picking up on mannerisms that I do. Fascinating, and at the same time scary, I suppose.

It's the little things that amaze, though. As a teenager, I lived on Arby's sandwiches. The "5 for 5" deal was made for high school kids - especially since it was down the street from our high school. The wife is not a big fan, so years go by before I get a roast beef sandwich with Horsie and Arby sauce. This weekend, we got Arby's for the family. My son devoured his sandwich and declared it was, "delicious!" With that proclamation I realized I had passed on a little bit of me. The moment was not lost on the wife either as she observed, "Are you glad he likes Arby's like his dad?" That got me thinking of what other non-life-lesson type stuff we pass on.

My morning drive to drop off the oldest daughter allows us to share some music time together. Time was where she'd control the playlist - the usual fare - Disney favorites, Raffi, etc. These days, we've moved on to more sophisticated bands, like Owl City and Keane. She even has a healthy appreciation for 80's music, with her favorites being Cyndi Lauper's "Time after Time" and The Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams."

It's taking all that in that you realize how much we influence our kids - both knowingly and unknowingly.

The Littlest Teachers

There are many things I feel I have taught my kids. I never realized how much they'd actually teach me as well.

Here's a short list of what my little teachers have passed on so far:

• You can find wonder and joy in the smallest things - you just need to take the time to look.
• Don't take things so seriously - silliness is an under-appreciated trait.
• Imagination outweighs logic any day.
• Learn to enjoy the simple pleasures of life - like a nice PB&J with milk.
• There's magic in a hug and a kiss - it can cure all that aches.

And most importantly...

Don't worry so much. Tomorrow's a new day.

Life is a game show

What do you do when all life seems to send you is questions?

Answer them, of course. The better answer, though, is maybe to just wait. There's a huge difference between taking quick action and reacting. Taking action requires forethought and decisiveness. Reacting is instinctual, and not premeditated.

In life, the best decisions are made with thought. I've made it a point in my life to try not to be reactive. When things seem to not be going your way, you have to learn to roll with the punches - but more importantly, read the situation as a whole. I recently had a friend ask, "How can you be so calm? How can you not be mad?" The answer was simply, "It's not worth it." And that's the truth. You have to be able to filter the important from the trivial. The stuff that really matters from the stuff you can let slide.

Once you've mastered that, you can outlast them all.