The old saying about blind squirrels and acorns is pretty true. As parents, we really hope that we’re doing all of the right things, but deep inside we know that we make a lot of mistakes along the way. Even so, when we’re able to look back on things we see that we also got a lot of things right, even if we really can’t take credit for doing those things deliberately.

I did try to be a really good father, but I know I screwed up now and then and maybe even more than that. I only had one daughter, but she’s a great one and the two of us today are very good friends. Actually, the best of friends. She now has a son of her own and she’s doing a great job with him. She’s a wonderful mother and she loves that little boy more than her own life. I can take a little credit for that (her mother also gets a lot of kudos for teaching her how to be a good mother). But the biggest proof is in how well my grandson is doing. He’s had some challenges early in his life, but he’s really unaware of all of that and he’s thriving in spite of any challenge that has been thrown his way. He’s just a great kid, and I couldn’t be prouder of either one of them.

I’m a teacher and a writer, and I’d be very pleased if you praised me for either one of those things. But anything I do personally pales in comparison to the joy that it brings me to see how well my daughter and grandson are doing. Those are the things that will truly last and so those are the things that bring me the most joy.