It is always a difficult balancing act, this life/work one, especially with dependants to think of.
We shared the responsibilities of child rearing ( an unfortunate clinical and rather agricultural term) based on respective skills whether they were as a good listener ( my wife), sound common sense advocate ( my wife), peacemaker (ditto), medic ( ditto again) , educator (same) or childish idiot (yay, me).
Collectively the combination seems, with hindsight, to have been effective in bringing into adulthood three well balanced human beings with a morality based conscience, a sense of outrage at injustice and empathy with everyone.
Above all our three offspring possess a certain but not imposing self confidence and great individuality.
Take as an illustration of this the most recent acquisitions by them.
These were in no way eccentric or impulse purchases but in the pragmatic minds of these twenty somethings of fundamental use to where they each are now in their lives.
That characteristic of single mindedness definitely comes from their mother.
Eldest daughter bought or as she says "invested" in a petrol powered chain saw. The Husqvarna 372XP is, to the heavy duty woodsman/joiner, the flagship of its type and widely thought to be the best ever produced by the Swedish brand.She has taken an interesting career path from an architectural degree to climbing instructor to builder and with "Husky" in hand now builds log homes and buildings for a company based in the Scottish Borders. Her own design and build commissions include a tree house holiday let in the foothills of the French Alps. She has embraced a minimalist lifestyle with only a handful of possessions and has converted a transit van as her primary residence.
Younger daughter, we refuse to use the term middle child because of the apparent stigma of that position, has recently bought a virtually infinite supply, or at least 100 metres of bubble wrap for her newly opened "pop up" shop. In the heart of the old market district it is amongst galleries, restaurants, niche craft and retail outlets. She has ,even from the age of 4, wanted to have a shop with her first pre-school enterprise comprising a Fisher Price cash register and plastic fruit and veg. Not only has her dream come to be but she has designed her own range of cards to sell alongside other local artists. The shop has a creative uniqueness and ambience that after just three trading weekends has attracted good custom and an enthusiastic following.
Our son is channelling his energies into a different course being a racing cyclist in between his academic studies. In fact when not studying he has a similar routine to a Professional cyclist of sleep/eat/ride and the balance is one that I ,as a former amateur racer ( a very poor one), envy. It is a serious business requiring a strenuous regime of indoor and outdoor training, dietary discipline and dedication to well being, both physical and cerebral. He keeps his bike components and equipment up to date hence the recent arrival of new lycra skin shorts. These are in stark contrast to the wool based shorts that I had at his age, susceptible to sagging below the knees if wet from rain or sweat. The modern equivalent is of high performance fabric, breathable and with combined elasticity and grip for comfort and aerodynamics. No wonder then that when I go out training with him I am always left behind in his slipstream.
In those reflective moments, that parents sometimes allow themselves as their children grow into adulthood, there is a mixture of emotions. Of course we reminisce about their early years when they were totally reliant on us but this soon changes to feelings of awe and admiration as they forge their own paths in this world with creativity, flair and determination.
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