Swing for the Fences!

It's baseball playoffs time!! And what dad doesn't like to sit and watch a baseball game with his kids? It is America's pass time, afterall.

There are so many analogies that one can make between baseball and life in general. Well, all sports really but let's use baseball right now.

When a batter with home run potential goes up to bat, depending on the situation, he can take different approaches. Sometimes, he wants to just get the ball in play. Sometimes he wants to at least make a sacrifice fly. But there are times when he has one thing on his mind - swing for the fences! For our non-baseball friends, that means, hit a home run.

As dads, we're the home run hitters in our kids' lives. We are usually more of the providers and the ones who can mentor them as they grow and develop.

There is a crisis in the American family, and I dare say, in the family in the world at-large. Some of you reading this are single dads through no choice of your own. Some are divorced, others are contemplating divorce but are hesitant to do so because of the potential effect on the kids.

Regardless of your particular circumstance presently, I implore you to swing for the fences when it comes to your kids. Don't take them for granted. We can't be passive when it comes to mentoring and being there for them.

With this blog, I, too, am swinging for the fences. There are lessons I've learned - some the hard way - that I'm passionate about sharing. Some might not be the most pleasant of topics to address. And I dare say, some will be controversial. And that's fine. But if this entire exercise results in each of us being better equipped as parents to our kids, then it would have been worth it all.

Our children are legal minors up to age 18. After that, they're considered adults. So during these formative years, I implore you to swing for the fences. To use another analogy, you should make hay while the sun shines because soon, our kids will no longer be under our care on a daily basis. And the life they live when they leave, will be dictated by the values we instill in them right now.

So here's the scenario: it's the bottom of the 9th. Your team is down by 3. The bases are loaded with 2 outs. You're the clean up hitter. What do you do? It's a rhetorical question! Of course you know it - SWING FOR THE FENCES!

The Upbeat Dad