(I’m listening to “Everyday” by Phil Collins as I write this.)

It was the first day of spring.  It was a great day with the kids.  The weather was in the mid 70’s, which meant a lot of time outside.  The wife finished her work early, and we were able to take advantage of some family time.

When I say it was a “great day with the kids,” that’s an understatement.  What I really mean is, today was one of those days where everything clicked.  It was great being a dad.  The kids ate on time, they napped on time, no timeouts, they were good listeners, they played well together, and they were a complete joy to be around.  We played, we jumped on the trampoline, we rode bikes, we skateboarded, we did everything.  Today made me feel like a great dad.  Then, to top it off, the wife got home during nap time.  After naps, we loaded up the kids in the bike trailer, went to the ice cream shop on the corner, and had a treat (Tiny had Cheetos, but no ice cream). Then, we played some more.  It was a great first day of spring.  This picture says it all.

I’m must confess, the dad in me loves spring, but the human in me doesn’t look forward to the change in seasons.  The dad in me loves spring because of the picture above.  The weather is warmer, the days are longer, we play outside, there’s more to do, and it’s great.  The human in me doesn’t look forward to spring.  The human in me knows the beginning of spring means it’s the end of winter.  The wife jokes and says I have Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder and this is why.

Anyone that knows me, knows I love to snowboard.  Snowboarding is my release; it’s my reset button.  Some people run, some people bike, some people read, some people go to the gym; I go to the mountain.  There’s just something about standing on the top of a peak, looking down, and taking the plunge.  It’s just me and the mountain, me and the elements, me and the challenge, me and God.  Everything else just melts away and for a brief moment, I look inside, see what’s there, and let it out.  The adrenaline pumps, the focus gets locked in, and I just feel so small in a huge world.  It’s humbling, spiritual, and exhilarating at the same time.  I run a gauntlet of emotions.  It’s controlled chaos.  In short, I feel like a human.  It’s also hard to snowboard in the summer.

The wife and I both agree we need activities in our lives like these and we both encourage each other to do them.  It allows us time to be ourselves, recharge our batteries, and hit the reset button.  This makes us better people, better spouses, better parents, and I am so thankful we understand that about each other.

Parenting can be a tough gig.  Every day isn’t filled with naps and ice cream.  Some days, I need to feel like a human instead of a dad, but today was not one of them.  Today was the first day of spring and it was awesome to be dad.