Taking a breath.

So our oldest son has some kind of disorder. He's a late talker, his motor skills are not age appropriate and he has a tendency to get hyperemotional. All the experts say they don't know what he has, the complete gauntlet of tests haven't been run so we're still in Limbo on all of this.

Everyone wants the perfect kid, when they turn out not quite that way you start fretting about how he'll get on in life. We all know we're not gonna live forever and one day our children will go through life without us. Hell, even when we're alive they'll eventually spend the majority of their time away from our protection. So if there's any perceived problem a normal person starts to worry.

That perception will hit you full in the face when your kid is amongst others of his age and you see the difference. Amazing how the kids themselves won't take much notice but the parents do. It's one reason I remind the War Department that most kids make it through childhood but parents aren't such a sure bet.

Times like this a parent should remember life is like a poker game, it isn't so much what you're holding as how you play your cards. Anyone who's played the game knows what I'm talking about. You can hold four aces but if your opponent successfully bluffs you into thinking he's straight flushing, your hand won't mean diddle squat. Parents evaluate what their kids will be holding onto in life's poker game and show them how to play it to the best of their ability. No redeal allowed.

And truth to tell, whatever #1 son has is mild. We might fret because he has no shoes, somewhere there's a tyke with no feet. Suck up and go. It could ALWAYS be worse.

On the plus side he's a gentle kid, at 3 1/2 he's the size of most five year olds but very gentle. He loves his little brother and sister, he's making a lot of progress that a year ago we only hoped for and everyone who knows him adores the tyke. Lord knows, there's plenty of kids his age most adults would cheerfully strangle! But not him.

I'm grateful as hell for what I've got. Wouldn't trade any of this for the world and there's plenty of men my age who can't say that. Sometimes you just have to stop and take a deep breath.

And that's all this post was about. Just taking a deep breath.

Thanks for listening.