Motorcycle Moments #4

The other night I was driving home after umpiring my son's baseball game and having my own daughter Bella heckling me. Last night I was coming home after spending the best 5 plus hours of my day with Sofia and Stina. I've heard that "home is where the heart is". I realize now that my home is with my children, and everytime I'm with them I am "home". These times are invaluable to me, priceless moments that open my heart and bathe my soul in warm swirling waters of peace and happiness.


(Although my son plays for the wolvernines, I had an Ohio State shirt on underneath my chest protector :-)




This morning I am trying to respond to emails but can't because my mailbox is too full and I "must delete some items before sending". I began by deleting the numerous system emails telling me my mailbox is over the size limit and I must delete some items. I responded to one of them telling them my mailbox wouldn't be so full if they would stop sending me all these emails. It wouldn't let me send it and I was told "your mailbox is over the size limit and you must delete some items before sending."


In my search to delete emails I found hidden among them a very special one sent back in August. It was an email from my baby sister that echoed my "pricless" thoughts of my children. She is my favorite little sister. Actually she is my only little sister but don't tell her that because she feels so special being my favorite one. She's also the mother of my Godson Jack, for whom I wrote my first children's book, "My Name is Jack", inspired as I was holding him in my arms over three days.


The Price of Children

This is just too good not to pass on to all. Something absolutely
positive for a change. I have repeatedly seen the breakdown of the cost
of raising a child, but this is the first time I have seen the rewards
listed this way. It's nice.

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from
birth to 18 and came up with $160,140 for a middle income family. Talk
about sticker shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition.

But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into:

* $8,896.66 a year,
* $741.38 a month, or
* $171.08 a week.
* That's a mere $24.24 a day!
* Just over a dollar an hour.

Still, you might think the best financial advice is don't have children
if you want to be "rich." Actually, it is just the opposite. What do you
get for your $160,140?
* Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
* Glimpses of God every day.
* Giggles under the covers every night.
* More love than your heart can hold.
* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
* Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
* A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
* A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites.
* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or
how your stocks performed that day.

For $160,140, you never have to grow up. You get to:
* finger-paint,
* carve pumpkins,
* play hide-and-seek,
* catch lightning bugs, and
* never stop believing in Santa Claus.

You have an excuse to:
* keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
* watching Saturday morning cartoons,
* going to Disney movies, and
* wishing on stars.
* You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator
magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand
prints set in clay or Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for
Father's Day.

For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a
hero just for:
* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,
* taking the training wheels off a bike,
* removing a splinter,
* filling a wading pool,
* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball team that
never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.

You get a front row seat to history to witness the:
* first step,
* first word,
* first bra,
* first date, and
* first time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family
tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called
grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in
psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human
sexuality that no college can match.

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all
the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed,
patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and
love them without limits, So . . one day they will, like you, love
without counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!

Love and enjoy your children and grandchildren!


Thanks baby girl. I love you!