I recently dawned on me that you see me fail far more than you see me succeed.

How am I to feel about this?

Everyday there are lapses. Everyday I am tired. Everyday I am frustrated. There inevitably comes a time each day when I act in a way I tell myself I shouldn’t. Or say something I know I should not say. I go to bed at night and instead of being proud of all the things I did decently or even well, all the times I remained calm, all the obligations and responsibilities I addressed, I am regretful of the lapses in judgement, however minor.

I should amend my opening statement. It may not be that you see me fail more than you see me succeed. It is that the failures, however, that remain in our minds. Goodness is expected, often taken for granted. The hundred small things we do each day out of love for you are easy to overlook. But when I raise my volume in frustration instead of remaining calm, or voice disappointment instead of encouragement, we remember.

A father can strive for perfection, but no matter how hard we try, it can never be attained. As is the case with so many things we do in life, it is the striving to do it better, I believe, that makes the difference.