Thomas C. Duncan is first and foremost a professional Rodeo Photographer. Just name your favorite rodeo, and chances are he’s been to that arena photographing …
I miss my boots!
Everyone has a favorite pair of boots, right? You know…your go-to every-day pair. Reliable. Comfortable. A little worn down. Well, mine were …
This week I took a well-deserved break from my routine life to fly out to California and spend time with family. It is still a beautiful state! I moved from California to Idaho about two years ago, leaving two daughters and six grandchildren (5 months to 16 years!). They are my heart, my family and my legacy!
This trip has allowed me to get an entirely different perspective of each of my daughter’s family and personal dynamics. Both girls call me daily, often on FaceTime. Who else can remember long-distance calls? There used to be the time when we were charged by the minute by long-distance carriers. Before cell phones. After I got married and moved across country, I remember that I didn’t see my parents for two entire years! Now, technology allows us to see each other; their faces, surroundings, and glimpses of toddlers as they pop in and out of the screen. I feel as though I’m almost there when they call, which helps bridge the distance between us. We talk about our daily schedules, dinner menus, and the weather. But this trip has brought them closer to me because I have witnessed the not-always-pretty or perfect side of life.
Each of them has financial worries (and who doesn’t?) that are minimized when we are apart. None of us wants to give the other fuel for worry. Both daughters have second fathers in the picture and share custody with their respective children; this is challenging to say the least. That’s all I’m going to say about that. I get to see the reality and complexity of their lives, their schedules, and the direction that their children are heading; as a grandparent, I am concerned. I look for solutions and suggest ways to handle things. But I’m from another era and try to be graceful and accepting of their childrearing methods. I want my daughters to be happy and successful and feel that I can offer a lot of wisdom…but I hold back.
Somehow, sometime along the road, I have aged and become a bit irrelevant, even though my offspring never try to make me feel that way. It is as if I didn’t live through struggles of my own. My suggestions or unsolicited advice are outdated; this generation is different. Technology and times have changed. I’m “Old School” and somewhat damaged by the struggles of my own upbringing, so who am I to give advice?
All in all, I can relax knowing that Almighty God is in charge of everyone. This is His plan unfolding. I saw a great video on Instagram (@Ironwiill) that said that “If it won’t matter in 5 years, don’t spend more than 5 minutes worrying about it. I can love and trust without trying to control the outcome. And perhaps that is the greatest gift I can give my children.
