I picked Cindy up from the Charlotte Airport early this afternoon after a four-night stay with some friends in Pompano Beach, FL. The experience of being a “single” father-of-three has special relevance to me right now. Because our Bishop, Most Reverend Robert J. Baker, has proclaimed 2007 the year of the family, I’m centering our parish youth ministry program around the family and promoting a talk of my own entitled “The Family Scatters.”

This weekend’s experience drove home a few points (most of which people have been trying to tell me for years).

• God has truly blessed me with an amazing family. Without the cooperation of my three very well-behaved children (6mo, 21mo, 32mo) and the support of my mom (who watched the hopefully well-behaved children while I fulfilled my obligations at church), none of us would have survived.
• God has given me enough gifts to do great things. I just need to find what needs to be done and do it.
• Cindy is an amazing, patient, forgiving, and faithful wife and mother.
• I could be a much better father.

The first two are pretty self-describing, I’d like to explain the others.

The biggest revelation of the weekend was the extensive list of things I don’t do to keep this family running. I consider myself to be a good dad, in general. I spend as much time as I can at home, I adore my wife and children, and (though it’s hard to say today) I pitch in a bit at home. But there is much to be done each day that I inadvertently (I promise) leave for Cindy to do. Now I have some amazing perspective with which to live my family life in an entirely different way.

In 2007, it’s too easy to say “well we’re too busy…” to eat dinner together, to do household chores together, to play a game together, or to take a walk together. We know how important family is. But just like knowing the importance of not sinning, the intention and the action wind up dissonant in the tumult of life.

Don’t make excuses anymore. I’ll do my best not to.

May God richly bless your entire family.

Update: Catholic Carnival Link