Balance-Seasons-&-Kids

Balance–Seasons & Kids

For years I have struggled with Balance in my life.  As I spoke with friends and colleagues, I found that so does nearly everyone.  It seems that we’re never quite in Balance and always striving to keep everything going in the right direction.  Take health, for example; you’re never quite there with your health.  It seems that we nearly always have pain or illness that returns repeatedly.  In truth, we’re never totally in Balance with our health; it is always a balancing act every day.

One day as I realized for the 1000th time that I was out of Balance again, I asked myself an important question.  Does Balance even exist?  I decided that it doesn’t live – there is no such thing.  What we have are seasons.  The young woman, Sean-Kong above, has taken this photo of herself standing at what looks to be a soccer goal net.  It is her season – perhaps she plays soccer and enjoys it.  So one could look at her and see that she puts a lot of time into soccer, but it is a season.  A season can last for a few hours, days, or months or years.

It is always interspersed with other seasons – family, kids, helping others, giving back are also all seasons.  What season are in you at this moment?

Raising kids is a season – yes, a very long one from start to finish–or is there a finish?  I say not.  Today is father’s day, and I am always a father, and still, to this day and regularly, I am interacting with our kids, helping, advising, seeking their help.  It is still a type of season.  I like thinking about a season because then I don’t feel guilty for not tending to this or that.  When I realize a shortage or unbalance, if you will, I shift to giving that my attention instead of something else.

As I write this post, my wife waits for me to sit outside and look at the forest.  I am in a season to finish my blog and headed to family time, to Father’s Day celebration.

Enjoy your seasons and stop trying to keep everything in Balance.  It doesn’t exist after all.  Enjoy the journey and all its shifts.

Happy Father’s Day to all our fathers and to all men who help others, whether you’re formally a father or not – you’re an influence.  It is a perpetual season.

Writing about Balance in our lives is a favorite topic of mine.  I have another post here that you need to read, Living in Balance – Dr. Rich Patterson (pattersonphd.com)

Psychology Today is a favorite source of mine, and they have a great post on Balance for you here, 5 Ways to Find Balance in Your Life | Psychology Today

Let me know what you think below, please.

Yours for Better Parenting,

Rich