No one ever said parenting would be easy….or if they did, maybe they only had a 1 day old! One of the most surprising parenting challenges is the guilt. It’s unbelievable how much there is to feel guilty about! How you feed your children, what time you put them to bed, how you could’ve done better. No matter what you choose, someone will think you’re wrong. You may even feel guilty about circumstances you had absolutely no control over. Mike Donehey recently posted about one of his moments of guilt, on Instagram, when his daughter Nora wrecked on her bike. His wife, Kelly Donehey, encouraged him by making a single statement; “Good Dads Have Kids Who Have Scars.” You can read Mike’s post below and we hope you find it encouraging.
Mike Donehey Shares His Moment Of Guilt
My sweet Nora. Today she had her first real bike wreck. I can feel the pit in my stomach as I recreate it in my mind. She was thundering down the hill like a true kid with her feet up off the pedals, squealing with delight with the kind of satisfaction you forgot was possible, til that front tire started to wobble. I looked back over my shoulder as she slowed behind me, struggling. I yelled over and over “Go to the grass!!! Turn toward the grass!” But it was too late. The handlebars were already ricocheting back and forth like an angry snake caught by the tail until the wheel finally caught and her face hit the pavement. I skidded to a stop and prayed nothing was broken. Nothing worse than the “your kid just got hurt and it was your fault” kind of pit in your stomach. That’s what I had. An older lady named Jane came running from nowhere. She had an ice pack and baby wipes. Pretty sure she was a Tennessee angel of some sort. Nora got up and everything moved as properly as you could hope and we took off her helmet and my brother in law showed up with his van and drove her swiftly home.
In the living room, my wife and sister consoled me as I inevitably started my self-shame barrage. “I should have told her to keep her feet on the pedals! I should have told her to slow down.” My wife insisted. “Good dads play with their kids. GOOD DADS HAVE KIDS WHO HAVE SCARS.” My eyes started tearing up.
“Good dads have kids who have scars.” – Kelly Donehey
I’ll never understand that statement fully but I know it’s true. Me and my kids. God and His kids. Good dads aren’t afraid to expose their kids to things like hope and joy even if it means they’ll experience things like sadness and pain. For good dads, it’s worth it. Guess I can stop beating myself up now.
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