I’ve Gotcha

I was walking the dogs (and the wife) yesterday and we went past a house where two young kids were playing outside with their Dad. They were playing on a balanced rope between two trees, and the little girls were being held upright somewhat by their Dad while they got experience balancing themselves…”don’t worry, I’ve gotcha,” he said to them both,. No doubt this made them feel more relaxed and confident as they worked on their own balance.

My kids are (almost) 32, 30, 28 and 24 years old, respectively. When I pass by scenes like this I am of two minds. The first reaction is wistful…I miss the days of playing with my kids at home, encouraging them and giving them confidence by telling them in so many ways that “i’ve gotcha.” I do miss those days; I loved having my kids at home and I loved having them be able to count on me.

The other reaction I have, about a minute after the first, is that I still have their backs. I might not need to hold their hands literally, but sometimes I still do, figuratively. As they have all developed (thankfully) into wonderful adult men and women, they still ask for advice sometimes…or just to vent and make sure that “i’ve gotcha” whenever they need it. Sometimes it is advice over a business issue (thankfully I do have this type of relevant experience) like managing or working with people. It might be to read and edit a paper of some sort. It could be simply ‘listening’ to a relationship issue. Whatever it is, I can tell myself that I am still here for them, all of them and each of them…as is their mother. They are still working on their balance.

I’ve still gotcha.