Amateurs Make The Best Kind Of Parents

It’s a real cartoon keeper, folks! A few Saturdays back, “Adam” spoke volumes to me.

His son came to him while Adam was folding clean clothes.

“Dad, how much money do you make a year being a dad?”

“How much money?” Adam replied. “I don’t get paid for being your dad. And neither does your mom for being a mom.”

A look of puzzled reflection comes on the boy’s face. Then he asks, “You mean we’re being raised by a bunch of amateurs?!”

My first thought was to cut out the cartoon and send it to my son, who was to become a first-time daddy in two weeks. Ironically, he called the very next day to announce that he had just become a first-time daddy that morning, two weeks early!

So allow me a new grandfather’s indulgence just this once. I would like to share with you the following letter I have written to Katherine Natalia Graves:

Dearest Katie,

I know you didn’t choose your mother and father. But they’re the best kind of parents to have - amateurs!

When you are able to better understand, I hope you will consider this your first formal language lesson. As you grow into a curious little girl, you will be learning two wonderful languages - your daddy’s original language, English, and your mommy’s original language, Spanish.

I want to introduce you to one word that comes from a third wonderful language, French. That word is “amateur.” It means “one who does something for the love of it.”

I’m sure Spanish has a beautiful word that means the same thing. If so, your mommy will teach you that word and will daily teach you what it means.

Both your mommy and daddy will teach you because they love you very much. And that’s why they make the best kind of parents - amateurs.

In America, most people think that an amateur is someone who enjoys doing something but isn’t as good at that skill because he isn’t paid to do it.

That’s not always true. Many amateurs are more skilled at their craft than people who get paid to do that craft. But the amateurs do their craft for the love of it.

Here’s an example of what I mean:

Do you remember the beautiful baby quilt you have with the funny-looking kitties on it?

It was made for you by your grandmother, your daddy’s mother. She is such a wonderful quilter that some people have offered to pay her to make them a quilt.

But she doesn’t take money for her quilts because for her being paid for them would take the joy and love out of making quilts.

She and your mommy started your special quilt together. But because we live a long way from you, your grandmother did most of the work. The quilt she made just for you was made just because she loves you, and this is her way of telling you how much she loves you!

And what about your daddy and mommy? Do you remember anything about how they fed you and changed your diapers when you were a baby? Probably not.

Do you remember how they cleaned your clothes and fixed your food and played with you, or how they helped you learn how to crawl and walk? Probably not.

Do you remember how they picked you up when you fell down, or tried to protect you when you were about to get hurt? Probably not.

But even if you can’t remember any of those things, you know inside of you. In your soul - they happened. You know they happened because you know that you are loved.

All of those things your parents did for you were done out of their incredible love for you. Your daddy and mommy are the best kind of parents anyone can have. They are amateur parents.

They aren’t your parents because they are being paid to be your parents. No amount of money in the world can pay a person to be a loving parent. Your daddy and mommy are your parents purely because they love you!

You may do some things that disappoint them from time to time, or even frighten them occasionally. But they never stop loving you, Katie! Never! That’s the mark of a real amateur parent.

Do you know how they learned to love you so much? Partly, it is because they are both loved very much by their own parents, your grandparents.

But mostly, it is because all people are first of all completely loved by the God who creates us in the first place. Loved even more than your parents love you! That’s a hard idea to understand. But it’s true.

God puts love in our souls and then gives us other people to share that love with, just like your mommy and daddy share their love with you.

This can get pretty confusing for you right now. All I ask you to remember is that everyone who loves another person is an amateur.

I guess that even makes God an amateur! What a marvelous idea. I hope you and I can have a wonderful visit about that sometime.

Your amateur grandfather

xxxx