Balance...

Ok, so every so often I get asked about my life as a single Dad while being gazed upon as if I'm a gorilla just beyond the thick glass wall at a Zoo. You know...you lock eyes with him and you think you have a connection until he abruptly begins to pound on the glass, moon you, and tight walk with an absurd display of balance back to its "special space" (Where we can still see him pick his nose). Well, I won't do that...today anyway! I'll answer the questions of "how do you manage the house, get them to school, do activities, and stay sane?" My secret...I actually stole it from the gorilla - balance!

As expected, my life as a single Dad can be hectic at times. How hectic you wonder??? At one point during the last school year I was faced with all three playing soccer with practices/games nearly everyday! That meant that in addition to toting them to and from practices, I had to keep the house clean, cook dinner, take care of the dog, help with homework, wash clothes, build relationships with friends and family, and assist with coaching for one team, all the while continuing with my body sculpting regimen of watching my 8 min ab video!

I tell you, by the end of the school year I felt like...well...like I really understood that gorilla! For me, balance was the key because all those activities needed to be planed out, organized, and carried out without me passing out! Early on I realized that if I didn't take care of myself I couldn't take care of them. That then became my top priority. "Taking care of myself" meant to take vitamins, get proper rest, pray without ceasing and do at least 4 mins of the ab video! At first it seemed impossible...get more rest and do more in the same 24hrs...impossible right??? -Wrong!

My next secret is...(This one's free but the next one will cost you) getting rid of the TV! Yes, I did it - I don't even have rabbit ears people! I stopped letting the great time thief steal my precious time and energy. Soon after, I began picking up books (instead of my nose), and reading. I found that it had been not only been stealing my time but my dreams.

Hear me out...It was always curious to me that whenever some celebrity was asked about some movie or TV show other than their own, they rarely had a clue! They were too busy investing in themselves and following their owns dreams rather than watching someone else's play out in front of them.

So there you have it friends...my great secrets laid out before you! Know that they are not mine...I stole them from the lives of such great leaders as Booker T. Washington, Frederick Douglass, and Nelson Mandela. All when I took the time to read their autobiographies.

Oh, and know that I'm not without the assistance of their Mom when it comes to caring for them. I fully advocate kids spending as much time as possible with both parents. Now I'm heading back to my "special place" to wonder what ever became of that Tony Soprano character!