bonding with the kids

When my daughter Maddy was 17, my wife, Suzanne, booked Maddy and me on a trip to Portland, Oregon. None of us had ever been there before.

It was an incredible gift. Maddy and I had the chance to wander a new town, but more significantly, to talk to each other. To listen to each other. Maddy was poised at the cusp of a lot of life changes. It was a good time to talk.

This time, the trip was to Encinitas, California. Our son, Max, is 14, and he's on spring break. He's going through some life changes, too. And it's been very cool to spend some time talking and listening to him. The Pacific Ocean is a great backdrop.

Not every family has a wife wise enough to book transition time with the children. Mine does, and I'm glad of it.

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James LaRue - myliblog

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