And Then There Were Six

I blinked and I went from a dad of 3 to a dad of 6. That’s my son, Kevin, and his fiance -Cali - on the left. My son, Drew, and his fiance - Kat are on the right. My daughter, Wallis and her husband - Sean - are center stage with me.

They were right. It goes by fast.

“They” would be that cast of older parents who tried to give advice many years ago when I was a young dad. Older siblings. Neighbors. That random lady in line at the grocery store. “They” all said the same thing.

“Enjoy them while they are young. They grow up fast.”

Wise words - I knew at the time. But somehow, being caught in the moment of parent-teacher meetings, travel baseball, music lessons and sleepovers - it was easy to dismiss such solid advice.

But they were right. Kids grow up fast.

I still vividly remember putting my then 3-year-old daughter, Wallis, into her pink leotard and ballet shoes for a recital. I remember her voice. Her eyes. Her little hand on my shoulder as I helped her ino her outfit.

Yet walking her down the aisle to marry the love of her life, Sean, just a few months ago, is a blur.

In my inner heart, my inner DNA and spirit - I still think of myself as a 40-something-year-old. But I’m reminded daily when I look in the bathroom mirror that a 40-something-year-old I am not. In fact, all three of my children are closer to the age of 40 than I am.

They grow up fast.

And they multiply.

In the last year, I’ve gained a son-in-law and - with the engagements of both of my sons - the gift of two future daughters-in-law.

So my threesome of kids is now a six-some. My parental blessings have more than doubled. They have blossomed exponentially.

When the kids were much younger, I started writing about parenting through my platform, “Bobblehead Dad” and had a lot of fun doing so. I met incredible people. I had amazing opportunities. And I have a plethora of published stories that, at a minimum, I’d like to preserve for my family. And that’s how “HigleyStories” was born. I’ve meticulously transferred every story and podcast of mine (and I’ve also included my entire book for good measure!). I’ll add updates and new stories every so often.

People used to ask me, “what’s the key to being a great parent?” to which I always gave the same answer: Be the parent your child needs you to be. Parenting isn’t about fulfilling your own vision of yourself. It’s about listening, observing and taking cues from each of your children (they will likely be different child to child). Your job is to step up to the plate, every day, and give it your best shot at feeding their inner self with love, confidence and self-worth.

You’ll strike out regularly. I sure did. But don’t give up. The payoff is huge.

I have three, um, six wonderful young adults as proof.