I Am Now The Father Of A Sixteen-Year-Old…Someone Please Help Me!

There are moments in your life that take your breath away.  It's one of those events that makes you need to sit down and go "wow".  This is one of those moments.  Today, my oldest son turns sixteen.  Wow.  The fact that he is about five feet taller than me should have alerted me that this day was coming.  But, for some reason, it's taken me a little while to adjust to the reality of being a dad of a sixteen-year-old.

My son isn't exactly a country music fan, so there's a good chance he'll never read this.  But, if he does happen to stumble across this blog in the middle of his many World of Warcraft or League of Legends gaming sessions, I hope he'll understand a few things about his good ole dad.

First and foremost, I hope he understands that I know he's a super smart kid.  And, he's on the borderline of becoming a man.  And, I hope he knows that my wish for him is to be a better man and eventually father than his dad is.

I could write pages about ways that I have failed Brandon.  And, yet, through it all he has managed to end up being OK.  That's to his credit, not mine.  My dad was a great man.  And, I know he was a very positive influence on my kids, especially Brandon.  Brandon would do well to remember his grandfather and model his life after him.  Oh...and avoid all the mistakes that your dad made and you'll be fine.

I am a certified computer tech and that happens to be my son's area of interest also.  So, when we talk, it tends to be about computers, software and all the dorky things that go along with that.  But, I hope Brandon knows that I love him and sincerely wish that I had been a better dad to him.  He has a world of opportunities ahead of him and I hope he finds happiness and (I can't emphasize this enough) avoids the mistakes I made.  He's a good kid about to become a man and I know he'll pick a road that will live up to the family name that he carries.   Happy birthday, Brandon.  I hope you have many happy ones to follow.

Love,
Dad