Zach's blog: All grown up

Growing up, we had a lot of family rules. One of those rules was to behave mannerly in public places, so to help us, my parents coined the term “Train-up” taken from the Proverb “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart.” When we heard, “Train up,” we knew it meant to line up quietly and orderly. As a new dad, I know that my son Bradley may not always understand the rules Whitney and I establish for him, and I know he’s going to make the occasional mistake, just as I did. My hope though, is that one day Bradley will know that we gave him rules because we loved him and wanted to save him from as much suffering as we possible could, just as my parents did for me and still do for my brothers and sisters. I can look back and see the wisdom of those rules and can be thankful for them in an even greater way now that I am a dad. So far, being a parent has been the most wonderful thing I’ve ever experienced and it has made me appreciate my parents all the more. Dad and Mom, thank you for always loving me, and now for loving Whitney and Bradley so wholeheartedly!