We definitely honored the mothers in the family today, but I have to admit I spent a little more time with the others than with the mothers. David did all the work, and he and Eric and I participated in dinner at Tammy and David’s house. It wasn’t about eating (although the food was good). It was about showing up, and sharing, and being together, and enjoying the blessings of family. Mom and Suzanne and Tammy were the guests of honor, but we were all part of the celebration.

As I hinted, I got a little kid time this afternoon. It’s been quite a long while since I’ve had a chance to spend any time with the kids, and I’m happy to say they were all in cheerful moods and more than willing to let me into their worlds. I played catch with Dakota (he’s really good now), and I threw some pitches to D.J. (he hit most of them). I also pitched to Aiden, who fouled one off but came really, really close several times, and never seemed to mind.

Kylie had all sorts of ideas about what I should do. First she wanted me to chase her, and then she decided she wanted to chase me and knock me down. At least she was straightforward about it and let me know what she had in mind. It was sort of the same thing with hide and seek. “Come on, Uncle Mike,” she said, “I’ll show you where to hide while I count.” And she dragged me down the hall and placed me behind the door to her bedroom, then disappeared for a few seconds counting “one, two, three” loudly. Guess what. She didn’t have any trouble finding me.

It’s been a kind of a difficult year for me so far. It’s been no one’s fault but my own, mostly. I haven’t always worked at peak efficiency, and it’s cost me in time and stress. Sometimes I tend to let things slide, and not take enough responsibility for my own life. What makes it possible for me to survive is that I have people I can rely on, and it’s a day like this that reminds me of that.