It's the First Day of School

Yup. It’s the first day of school.

I didn't like it growing up and I like it less now that I’m a parent. It’s the day I give my kids to strangers for 7 hours a day.

For those keeping score at home, I’m doing better than last year. But it still stinks.

Now, truth be told, I’m sitting in my quiet house right now thinking about things. I know I’m fortunate enough to have a job that allows me to work out of a home office. So outside of a few business trips, my summers are truly with my boys.

I’m fortunate enough that many of my breakfasts, lunches and breaks are spent with 2 little versions of me. I’m fortunate enough that the childish disagreements at my office are due to…children. I’m fortunate enough that the noise in the office is due to superheroes fighting crime, hot wheels races, and exercise on the trampoline outside my office.

I’m fortunate to hear the tantrums, the foot stomping, whining and crying.

I know. I'm blessed. I get it. I don't know how other dads or dual-income families do it. I'm fortunate enough to have a job that I get more time than most with their kids. 

But that makes this tough. Because now the house is quiet.

The walk to school was less emotional than last year. But it was a reminder of how quickly they grow up. They didn't hold our hands as tightly this year. It was more “business-like”. We had to carry bags of school supplies and quite frankly, they probably held our hands just to make Liza and I feel better.

And since the boys start at the same time this year, Liza and I didn't really get to see them off the way we like to, standing and watching as they walk down the hallway. I think that was the sad part of it for all of us compared to last year. Now they enter through different doors. One of the boys will always be dropped off first. It won’t be possible to watch them both walk to class. (tear)

This is how school will be from now on. We’ll drop them off. We’ll give them a quick kiss and a hug and watch them walk away. I’m thinking about all my aunts and uncles who are watching their kids drive away to college. I’m sure 18 years went by faster than they expected. I know these 6 years have.

That’s the paradox of parenting. We spend so much time getting them ready. We devote our lives to raising, growing, teaching and preparing our kids for school and life. And we grow SO close to them. Then one day, we say, “Be good. Listen to your teacher. Be a good friend. Don’t wait to go to the bathroom. Eat all of your lunch. Have a good day. See you later.”

And turn around to go home or to work.

And then our days are filled with faith, hope and trust. We pray and hope for their safety. We trust in the school, teachers, and staff to teach, care for and protect our little ones. We hope they learn and listen. We hope they don’t get hurt. We hope we raised them right and that other parents raised their kids right too.

All through August and leading up to today, the boys seemed to be really excited about school. I suspect they didn't really know what going back to school means. But as they were dropped off, I could tell something bothered them.

I’m not sure if it was that they were finally realizing going back to school means they’re in school all day which means less time for toys, video games and playtime. Oh, and going to bed earlier.

I’m not sure if it was meeting new teachers and making new friends.

I’m not sure if it was the partners in crime realizing that they don’t have their 24/7 shadow for the next 9-10 months. They really grew closer and became best friends this summer.

I’m not sure if it was realizing that from 9 until 4, they’re at school. Away from home. Away from the good life. Away from mom and dad for most of the day.

Part of me took it as a compliment. They’re unspoken way of saying “We love you and would rather be with you. We love spending time with you, Mom and Dad and we’re going to miss you. We hope you miss us too.”

I’m going to treat it like the latter and swallow them up with hugs when they get out of school.

That, along with the words, will be my way of saying “We love you and would rather be with you. We love spending time with you, Jakin and Grant and we’re going to miss you. We hope you miss us too.”

Yup. It’s the first day of school. (sigh)

Can you only imagine?

Are you sitting down? Are you comfortable?

Good. Because I think we should talk.

When is the last time you took a second to sit down and look at the world? When is the last time you sat and considered what’s going on, where you’re at, and just how things really are?

When is the last time you took your eyes off of your phone, tablet or 42” HD television to really pay attention?

So many of us are lost in our safe little world. While there may be water in our basement, we have a roof over our heads. While we may have had to take the long way to work, many of us are still earning a paycheck. And when we don’t have a job, we are fortunate enough to live in a country where our government and other organizations try to meet our needs.

When we may be lost or down on our luck, we have programs to help us find our way. We can go to a church. We can go to a mosque or temple. We don’t even have to have a religion. We can see a doctor. We can call or text our friends. We can choose the type of news we want to hear.

We can do just about what we want…for the most part.

Here in our world, things are pretty good. Imagine living in a world nothing. like. that.

On our side of the world, America is mourning the loss of an entertainment legend. We don’t understand how a man who made so many people feel so happy could take his own life. We can’t fathom how someone who seemed to have so much of everything could take his own life. We all seem to grieve in some shape or form as we recall the first time we saw him in a TV show or movie.

Behind the scenes, he was in pain. No one really knows what it was. But in his lifetime he battled addictions to substances just so like so many people around us. A sad story involving a funny man, and our world mourns.

While I’m not discounting the loss, the tragedy of suicide or his impact on our country, it’s sad that on the other side of this small world so many other people are losing their lives with such little fanfare. Some might even consider taking their own lives rather than face the death that seems to await them in the Middle East.

As much as I can’t imagine a pain so deep that taking my own life seems to be an answer, I can’t imagine fleeing for my life. I can’t imagine fleeing to save my wife and kids from the threat of death, rape, and torture. I can’t imagine running to the mountains without food or water, essentially choosing to die a slow death to avoid the evil that awaits me down the mountain.

I can’t imagine throwing my children off of a mountain to their death in order to keep them from being killed, crucified or beheaded.

Try to imagine being marked with a symbol that tells someone you’re a Christian which is essentially a death sentence.

Try as I might, I cannot imagine it.

I can’t imagine having to choose to renounce my faith or have to pay a fine or face death.

I can’t imagine being thankful for planes flying over me dropping food, water and supplies to me while all it’s really doing is sustaining me while the bad guys still wait for me…with no one trying to stop them.

Try to imagine a world like that.

Try to imagine waking up and leaving your family in search for food not knowing if that might be the last time you hug or kiss them.

Try to imagine trying to find a place to pray to your God without the threat of the follower of another religion looking to end your life.

Try to imagine knowing there are a people on the other side of the world who could do something about it but don’t.

Try to imagine knowing that for the better part of a century these people stood up for the weak and the helpless, and told the evildoers they’d gone too far.

Try to imagine knowing that there is real news to tell, but it’s not being told.

Try to imagine the same people that could help me are tied up in their sports, recreation and entertainment to even hear what is going on.

Are you still comfortable?

See, while we complain about our weather here. While we complain about a baseball team that isn’t playing as well as we’d like. While we worry about buying our school supplies, someone just needs a drink of water. While we worry what we’re going to wear or eat, there are people on the other side of the world trying to sleep knowing this could be their last night.

Isn’t that uncomfortable?

While we can argue about all the sins of America, our greatest sin may be our comfort.

We’re too comfortable to care. I mean, it’s the other side of the world, right?

It’s the Middle East. They’ve never gotten along. We shouldn’t have gone in the first place.

When it’s country against country, I may agree. But when it’s an ideology that says you don’t believe the same way as me, you must die….that’s evil. And we should never stand for evil

It’s been said that a man who doesn’t stand for something will fall for anything. And the same can be said for our country. It seems we no longer stand for anything. Peace and success have cost us our strength.

We stand in line for new phones. We stand in line for the latest move release.

We stand and cheer our millionaire celebrities and athletes.

We stand with fellow Americans who announce their lifestyle choice.

We stand with immigrants who illegally walk across our borders.

We stand with those who want to save the trees.

We stand with those who want to save the whales.

But we won’t stand with people who face the end of their life for no other reason than they believe in Jesus Christ.

I don’t care what belief system you adhere to, you can’t be comfortable with what’s going on. You don't even have to have a belief system. You can't be comfortable with it.

And the longer this world lets it fester, the longer its allowed to go unchallenged, the greater the evil becomes.

There is a famous Edmund Burke quote that says “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”

Friends, the things going on over there are evil. Imagine it getting worse if we do nothing.

BUT, Imagine an America that finds its strength and remembers its place in history.

Imagine politicians that stop politicking and quit worrying about the November elections.

Imagine having leaders lead; leaders who step up and say if no one else will fight for you, we’ll fight for you

Imagine a guardian coming to their defense and putting an end to the atrocities.

Imagine a country that puts aside its selfish lusts, passions and addictions for the cause of helping people who just want to live.

Imagine people who pray for the safety, protection and freedom of the oppressed.

Imagine churches that remember God.

Imagine Christians praying…and not just for themselves and their needs.

Imagine a sleeping giant waking up.

Imagine a fire burning so great it cannot be contained.

Imagine a miracle.

Can you only imagine?  

A snowstorm. In Michigan. In January…from the perspective of Nathan C. Hood I

Ya gotta love what storms do to us in the modern age. In the back of my mind, I wonder if those who came before us are rolling over in their graves.

Thanks to our virtual connectivity, social media, and so many means of communication, things become bigger than life. Take for instance a snowstorm. In Michigan. In January.

Meteorologists and news outlets want to be first to the party. And then want to get your attention. Plus, they can’t downplay it and have it be worse than forecast. So talk it up. No…REALLY talk it up.

That hits Twitter, Facebook and social media. Cool words are developed like “Snowmageddon” and “Snowpocalypse”.

Bam. And then it goes crazy.

I’ll give credit where credit is due. The weather experts nailed this one. So kudos to them.

But I want to talk about “PANIC IN MICHIGAN” and what just happened. No, really. What just happened? Here's a quick rundown:

Monday and Tuesday: Forecast of snow for Thursday, but rumors of a bigger storm behind it surface. The storm was brewing. The storm appeared likely to hit. Be prepared, they say. People tweeted and commented.

Wednesday: The storm is coming. We can see it on the radar…and it’s going to get crazy cold after! Be prepared and be careful, they say. People tweeted and commented.

Thursday: First storm hits, dumping several inches on the ground. Most seem to handle it okay, though the fact that the snow isn’t completely off the roads within hours frustrates many people. Why didn’t they cancel school? They should cancel school for the next week. Why didn't they preemptively cancel school? Why weren't they prepared? The big storm is coming! Be prepared, they tell us. People tweeted and commented.

Friday: Cleanup of storm #1 continues. It wasn’t quick enough or complete enough for many. “That’s my tax dollars at work.” How will we ever handle “Snowpacalypse”? Be prepared, they tell us. People tweeted and commented.

Saturday: The storm is nearly here. PANIC IN MICHIGAN! I have to be prepared! Who knew Snowmageddon was coming? I NEED FOOD! I NEED WATER! I NEED….BEER! I need bananas! I need chips. Gone? Curse you, fellow human being and similarly panicked individual! Clear the roads now! The snow is coming! The snow is coming! I see a snow flake… We’re going to get over a foot of snow! Be prepared, they tell us. How can I be prepared if it’s all gone? People panicked. People tweeted and commented.

Saturday evening and Sunday: The storm is here. PANIC IN MICHIGAN! Why aren’t the roads cleared? Why are they driving so slowly? Why are they driving so fast? Act like you’ve seen snow before…both of you. I had to shovel 6 inches of snow….TWICE! No…three times! How much snow did you get? 9 inches? That’s all? We got 10 here. You couldn’t get out of your driveway? I couldn’t get out of my subdivision? Have you ever seen SOOOOOOOOOOOOO much snow. Where are we, Siberia!? Global warming? Sorry, Climate change? People tweeted and commented.

Monday: Man, it's sooo cold. What is a polar vortex? That's cool. Too bad it's so cold. I want to go play in the snow! Don't drive. It's icy. Be careful. 

That was just my perspective of the world this past week. I found it humorous.

For those keeping track at home: 

Snow = panic

Record low temps = be nice to people

Now if we take the panic out of the equation. If we remove the hype, the drama, and the need to say it bigger, better, and sooner than anyone else. If we get rid of the need to be first, funnest (not a real word, I know), and funniest and if we take out the anger and hyperbole, what really happened?

We had a snowstorm. In Michigan. In January.

About a foot of snow fell in most places. Others had a foot and a half. Sounds like a lot. But really, it’s just a ruler or half a yard stick of snow. It’s not even past the knees of most people.

It really only took a day or so to clear most main roads. Considering how much fell in a short time in the area, that’s not bad at all.

We had a snowstorm. In Michigan. In January.

The kids got a couple snow days. Just like we used to. Bonus time with our kids!

We had to slow down, stay in, stay warm, crawl under a blanket, drink hot chocolate, and look out our windows at something we haven’t seen in a while.

A snowstorm. In Michigan. In January.

I guess we all see the world through our own eyes and circumstances. But it was kind of disheartening to see us Michiganians treating this storm as our own natural disaster.

Honestly, was hoarding food necessary? Did people really not have enough food and water to last 24-48 hours?

If I acquiesce on the food question because maybe the storm hit people at the wrong time, did people really not have water? For 48 hours? When most of this area has city water or a running well?

I understood having to fill up gas tanks. But even those lines weren’t as ridiculous as the lines at supermarkets.

I understand the concern over the extreme temperatures. It is dangerous, and we should stay inside unless we truly have to go out. It's probably more dangerous than the snow that fell.

But I don’t know if I’ll ever understand how we reacted to the snow. It’s sad really.

It’s the Social Media age.

And it was only a snowstorm. In Michigan. In January.

Starting over...again

As I’ve said many times before, “Let’s try this again.”

And “this” would be my blogging. What better day to get back into it than January 1? And with that, what better way to blog than talk about 2013 and my hopes for 2014.

Tonight, I’m doing my melancholy thing as Christmas break comes to an end. You know how I am, spend a couple weeks of nearly uninterrupted time with my family and I turn to mush when things go back to the grind.

I’m not as sappy as I’ve been in the past, just more melancholy and reflective. We reallyhad great family time together. We didn't too anything too big, but stayed busy. We spent a lot of time together just hanging out.

The boys are at a great stage. Old enough to start to do a lot of things for themselves, dependent on us enough to where they respect us and look up to us as the smartest and best people they know. Their love is still very unconditional. Our instruction, advice and discipline is still very much followed and viewed as the right thing.

Life is still good in their eyes. They still have the look of amazement when they see things.

Nothing more amazing than the trip to Disney World this year. For the last 2 or 3 years, we planned that trip, and it was worth the wait. Not only was it their first visit, but it was the first trip for myself and my parents as well.

But even if I did nothing, watching the thrill and amazement in my sons’ eyes was worth every penny. From driving to the airport and getting on a plane, to seeing the castle at the Magic Kingdom, seeing Epcot, experiencing the rides and attractions to getting back on to a plane to come home.

There’s something magical about kids that makes you want to provide tangible moments which make their dreams come to life.  And it’s those moments that I never ever want to forget.

And here is where I become melancholy. It just seems we, as a society and culture, are just too busy anymore. I don’t ever want to forget these moments with my kids, yet I seem to spend more time trying to remember scheduling business trips, making business plans, catching up on Facebook statuses, and arguing about sports and politics. And that’s in between getting things done around the house, trying to catch up with friends, heading to church, and running errands and the like.  It seems those things take up memory in my mind, but also limit the time I have to make new memories.

It’s funny just how much 15 minutes of uninterrupted, untethered, undistracted time means to our kids. And 15 minutes isn’t much. I want to do as much as I can to give my boys so much more time than that. I know that transforming Optimus Prime my frustrate me (Hey, you try it!), but it means the world to Jakin.

I know that when they put on those super hero costumes and Grant calls me Flipflash , I should drop what I'm doing and be Flipflash. (Grant-speak for Whiplash from Iron Man.)

I know that building the Hot Wheels track to reach from one end of the basement to the other will take some trial and error and likely only be used for 5 minutes, but it is quality time with the boys. Effectiveness and efficiency of my utilized time shouldn't be a factor.

I know that having a sock fight might make the house messy and seem quite childish, but that’s what gets the boys laughing and chasing me around the house.

I know that not following through on a promise (no matter how important something else may be) can do incremental damage to the trust kids have in life and their parents. Though not possible, I never want to break a promise I make to them.

Nothing brings me more joy right now than getting that true, heartfelt smile and laugh from my boys. That one that puts a sparkle in their eyes. That laugh that comes from the gut.

I haven’t blogged much the last 18 months or so. Part of that was technology and not getting the connection to work between the blog and Facebook. Part of it was being busy. Part of it was being lazy. I really didn’t like not blogging, so we’ll see where this goes.

I almost feel a call or mission to this. Like it’s a gift I have to give or would like to share.

But while the blogging has been few and far between, I’ve still written down my thoughts as things go in in my life. One of the things that hit me recently seems to fit in this blog post today.

And that is this: The world would be a better place if we were all a lot more like kids.

We rarely act like adults, and our children often act more mature than us. Kids share. Kids laugh. Kids play. Kids cry. Kids sleep. Kids trust. Kids love. Truly.

I talk a lot about how my sons are like me, and I spend a lot of time molding them to be a better version of me.

Yet I realized this Christmas break that maybe I should spend more time being more like them.

I don’t put much stock into New Year’s resolutions. I bet many people who had some for 2014 have already broken or forgotten them. But I do believe in goals and always trying to be better or do better. I believe in trying to make an impact.

So this year, I plan on spending more time blogging and sharing my life and thoughts. Maybe I can help make someone’s life better. Maybe I can make an impact.

Just don’t be surprised if what I have to share is heavily influenced by a couple of boys who daily impact my life and help make me a better man.