Family Ties!
Wow… what a weekend!!! We had our annual family camp! About 100 people or about 22 families showed up for the big weekend. It is truly one of my favourite times of the year. We always run the program on Fathers Day Sunday as it allows families to commit to being together for this cherished Hallmark Holiday.
One of the most important parts of the weekend is that it reminds me that the family unit is so important. The challenge in 2006 is that the modern family unit can be comprised of many different scenerios. You can have single mom’s and single dad’s, you can have same sex parents, parent’s living together but no married, traditional married couples, grandparent’s, and foster families. So many combinations, the one constant is the need to be together. As our life and society get busier and is measured by the amount we have rather then the love and time we share it is important to remember to schedule time (sad to say) in to our days and weeks. The important part is to make the time to be with the family, regardless of the make-up.
I am a single father that does not get the opportunity to see my children as much as I would like. In fact, when I tell people that I get my kids every other weekend they sometimes say…
“That’s pretty good!”
The sad part is, that most of us dad’s say “Yes it is!”
Since the courts in the province that I live are so lopsided in favour of the mothers that most men have resigned themselves to saying… “Yes it is.” I am not saying anything against moms, I just wish it was a little more evenly balanced.
Well, I can’t change the courts (not yet, anyway), so I have decided to stop screaming at the system and design a new system for myself. I can only control my life, not my ex’s, not the legal system. The best thing that I can do is give 110% to my children for those few days that I have them. I know that I am making an impact, when I drop them off this morning and with a little tear in their eye and say “I’ll miss you daddy, I had a great weekend!”
Please do not be a commercial parent. Don’t put your kids to bed during the commercial breaks, turn off the TV. I read to my kids. In fact my 7 year old daughter and I are reading an entire series of chapter books together. She loves those moments, and I live for those moments.
Have a great family moment today… I know it’s game 7 of the Stanley Cup, but your children are MORE important.
Today pic’s is from Family Camp… the winning sandcastle in the 2006 sandcastle contest! Way to go Van Eyk family!
For more information on everything we do at YLCC goto www.ylcc.com
Hi, I wrote you by e-mail but have just gone into your blog. It was so great reading about the ABS weekend from someone else’s point of view. That’s why we all need to keep in touch because we all heard different things. I have jounalled on and off for years, now I am writing like a fiend every chance I get and have been making changes in my life daily. These 1% changes really do count.
keep up the good work and I will stay in touch wiht your blog.
that is BIGGGG family.
PD.