Children Remember

It’s midnight.

I’m sitting in front of my computer.

Jacob Collier’s Something Heavy is playing to my left.

In front of me is this Google doc.

On the right is an image of dusk — the silhouette of a castle against beautiful shades of purple and orange.

“…And I know… it’s time to let it go.”

The words echo in my brain.

Jacob wrote this song about his relationship with his father.

A kid with the mind of a modern-day Mozart…

still carrying the weight of abandonment.

And I think about my kids.

The heartbreak of being ready and packed to go spend the weekend at his house.

Waiting.

And he doesn’t show.

No call.

No explanation.

The times he would take them… only to leave them with his brother.

Choosing to party.

Choosing a woman.

Choosing anything but his children.

There was never an apology.

Not once.

Not even when he knew he was dying and time was running out.

The ripples of our actions travel farther than we ever imagine.

I want you to remember that.

Because every time you choose your phone,

your tablet,

the TV,

your friends,

or your current partner…

You are teaching your children exactly what they are worth.

My kids will carry the weight of an irresponsible father for the rest of their lives.

These wounds run deep.

And it takes immense courage to face them…and even more to heal them.

Children remember.

Always.

Make sure what they remember is that they mattered.