Earlier today I looked at my son and thought I wasn't doing enough. I mean, he grows up to be a healthy little man (well, 19-months-old), and he's happy (especially when he sees a bus), but then his neighbor came to say hello and my baby moved away and hid behind my legs.
He's not social enough, I thought, because I haven't been working hard enough to socialize him. Maybe I should do what some parents I've met do, and send the guy to a different class every day.
Like drumming, and dancing, and exercising, and story-time in the library, and--
And again I complained to myself that this thing didn't come with a manual.
What I do have, though, is a set of values. I can't explain it exactly, but I do believe that set of values is guiding me to do the right thing. And even if my kid shies away sometimes, when I see him playing with the dogs and practicing his knee-free stair-climbing, I know I'm doing something right.
Which is all just an introduction to Building Camelot.
While my set of values comes from a mishmash of my childhood's popular culture, Tyler has been inspired by something a little more specific. Here's part of his About page:
Building Camelot is about creating happiness, prosperity, safety and a long lasting legacy in your home and family. Growing up, I was fascinated with castles, knights, kings and magicians. What little boy wasn’t? Little did I know that some years later, I’d be given the opportunity to build my own little Camelot — I have a wonderful wife and a beautiful daughter — a great start for a modern day Camelot.
Tyler's Holy Grail is finding out what it means to be a good father. Sometimes it means letting go and allowing his daughters to teach him what life has made him forget, and sometimes it's about attempting to inspire others, and sometimes it's about learning to forgive himself for his shortcomings while allowing himself to learn from what he considers his mistakes.
Sometimes I look at my son and think, Well, I'm doing the best I can. But maybe we all need a Camelot blueprint--something solid and constant to remind us to continue to thrive to be better and that fatherhood is a journey.
I appreciate the kind words OM. I've followed your site for some time now and I'm glad to finally be a part of it.
ReplyDeleteHey Tyler, glad you liked it (and glad to know you've been here before, of course).
ReplyDelete