Project Junction

My daughter Katie married Jamie Ives yesterday. I can live with that. He’s the guy every parent wants their daughter to meet.

At a time like this, you can’t help but look back at the years and wonder if you met your responsibilities as a parent. I made quite a few mistakes along the way, but things turned out well despite my failings.

In the project management world, we document our achievements and mistakes in a file called lessons learned. Here’s my parenting lessons from raising Katie.

+ What went well

• Katie loves God and has a moral compass.
• Katie loves her mom and me.
• She loves animals. In fact, she’s been a vegan for some time now despite the fact that her mom and I eat meat.
• She didn’t get a single stitch or break a single bone growing up.
• She’s an incredibly graceful dancer.
• She’s a whiz on the computer. When I have a problem with the iPod, I can ask her for help.
• She appreciates the mathematical nuisances of baseball and the beauty of a staunch defense in football.
• She enjoys a wide variety of music including classical.
• She dresses smartly.
• She’s a hard worker.

++ What could have gone better

• I may have been a bit too restrictive. Ha. Ha. Too late!
• I could have used more of my “Reasonable Mind” to settle disagreements. I just don’t know where that reasonable mind goes when I go toe to toe with Katie.
• I’ll never home school a child again. As a side note: Teachers are WAY underpaid.
• I would have made Katie do more chores around the house.
• I would have never let her bring that 25 cent goldfish she won at the fair into my house. Thanks a lot for encouraging her to play that carny game, Jerry. That goldfish cost me a couple hundred bucks after I purchased an aquarium and all of the accoutrements.
• I would have never allowed her to buy the “tiny” turtle in the plastic tray. She’s had Franklin for years … he’s not little anymore and he scares me.
• We should have attended more Durham Bulls baseball and FSU football games together.
• We would have gone camping every year.
• We would have kept dancing after dinner (we stopped years ago).

My number one regret is that we don’t hug as often as we did when she young.

That’s something I can change. That is something I will change. From this day forward, she doesn’t get in my house without a hug.