Daughter
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by Patrick and J.L. Hempfing
“
A Balance in Life
I
t’s all about a balance in life.”
My daughter, Jessie, has
heard me say this often. We all
face the daily challenge of finding that
right balance between work and play —
while incorporating a block of time for
sleep.
Jessie has always excelled at getting
the most out of her days. She stopped
taking naps after age two. My wife, Mat-
tie, and I now face a surprising challenge
from her zest to maximize her days, one
so simple, I can’t believe I’m writing
about it.
“Jessie, please replace the toilet
tissue when the roll runs out.” Jessie’s
stated reason for her repeated failure to
do this is, “It wastes time in my life that
I’ll never get back.” She plops the new
roll on top of the empty cardboard tube
still on the holder, and lets Dad put the
new roll on the spool. Apparently, time
that Dad will never get back is more ex-
pendable.
Somehow, the girl who won’t take
naps or replace the toilet tissue roll is
about to enter 7th Grade. I’m confident
Jessie will have a great school year;
however, her packed schedule concerns
me. Will she have a proper balance in
her life? I’ll let her fill you in on her up-
coming plans.
Jessie, Age 12
I am going to be juggling school-
work, dance, clarinet, saxophone, and
family the upcoming school year. I will
have to learn how to save time where I
can, while keeping up the grades, learn-
ing saxophone, keeping up with clarinet,
22 WNY Family August 2019
spending time with family, and dancing.
I am excited that I can have the opportu-
nities to pursue many different outlets. I
am very grateful that I get to skip a year
of band and go into the highest band at
my school. I’m also going to learn alto
saxophone to play in the jazz band.
Dance is also a big part of my life. I
will dance 3 or 4 days a week after school.
Next, I have schoolwork, home-
work, and studying. I will be in chal-
lenging classes at my school and need to
make sure I keep up my grades.
Finally, it is important to spend
quality time with my family. Now, back
to Dad.
Jessie will keep busy indeed and
will need to wisely manage her time
among her various activities. Jessie for-
got to mention that in addition to learn-
ing a new instrument, the alto saxo-
phone, she will be taking her first pointe
class. She’ll not only be squeezing a load
of classes and activities into her daily
schedule, but also squishing her feet into
the box of tight-fitting pointe shoes and
twirling around on her toes. Talk about
working hard at balance.
I’m glad Jessie recognizes that
she’ll need “to learn how to save time.”
May I suggest quicker showers as a good
starting point.
Mattie and I know, too, that our
soon-to-be-teenager will spend more
time with friends in the years ahead.
How much time will she have left for her
parents after school, dance, and music?
Let’s hope Jessie remembers her last
sentence, “It is important to spend qual-
ity time with my family.”
Like Jessie, Mattie and I need to fo-
cus on how we spend our time. Mattie
keeps a hectic schedule with her work.
I wear lots of hats, too, not only as a
writer, but also as a stay-at-home dad
and husband. Finding that right balance
is a daily challenge. “Mattie, could I hire
a personal assistant?”
But whether Jessie is spinning
across the dance floor, playing one of her
two instruments, or earning good grades,
one thing is certain ’tween daughter and
dad, I love my girl and my girl loves me.
I promise, too, that this stay-at-home
dad, without a personal assistant, will
make sure the house contains an ad-
equate supply of toilet tissue. However,
Jessie’s on her own when it comes to re-
placing the empty roll. I can’t waste any
time in my life, either. Like she says, you
can’t get it back.
Until next month, remember to
cherish the moments.
Patrick Hempfing had a 20-year profes-
sional career in banking, accounting,
and auditing before he became a father
at age 44. He is now a full-time husband,
stay-at-home dad, and writer. Follow
Patrick at http://patrickhempfing.com.
J. L. Hempfing, now 14, began writing
with her dad in kindergarten. Her cur-
rent hobbies include reading, writing,
playing clarinet and alto saxophone,
and dancing. If you enjoyed this col-
umn, you’ll like Patrick’s first book,
MoMENts: A Dad Holds On. The book
compiles favorite stories and new mate-
rial and is available for sale on Amazon.