How my Kids Inspire me

I remember being a kid thinking, if I could just live in Disneyland forever life would be so awesome and fun. I am now a privileged parent and my kids inspire me to be a better person because they look up to me, they give me the drive to be more. Kids depend on their parents for everything if a question is asked, you are supposed to know the answer for everything in their eyes, so my kids inspire me to know, learn, provide, to never give up and make the best choices in everyday life. Knowing how much your kids are counting on you, it brings out the best in you to be all you can be just like in the army. My kids believe in me and that has inspired me to return to college to earn my degree. My kids inspire me to love due to the fact that they provide love for me that is pure that will last forever.

I remember becoming a parent never realizing how much your kids would play a big part in your life by strengthening you, inspiring you and carving you into a person that they can count on to make it through difficult times in life. Kids inspire all of us on the daily basis by never holding back on what they think they just say it. Kids always think their parents are the best persons in the world, even if everybody else thinks you are not all that great, now that is inspiring. Kids can smile and brighten up your darkest moments by just a smile now that's quite inspiring to me. Being a parent, I have realized that life is so precious, so very fragile and how one unexpected phone call changed my life forever. I use to think life was only about success and getting as much of it as I could digest. I made a lot of successful business transactions over time and business kept my full attention until that was the only thing on my mind throughout the day. The feeling of success was so rewarding to me that I felt life could get no better. I was young in my 20's and just picked up my second BMW. My money was flowing pretty well at this time in life rewarding me with the means to buy the best things that life had to offer at that time and age. I really felt life was going to be easy from here on out.

I was high in the sky and then the unexpected phone call came. The unexpected phone call was like a rock hitting me and upon impact it shattered everything in me like I was made of glass. The feeling of success was quickly forgotten as if it had never happened. I was now focused on what really meant the world to me my children, not the superficial feeling of money and material things.

The unexpected phone call that I received brought me the most devastating and trying time of my life. It was a normal sunny day in California and I was attending an all-day business meeting and it was close to dark when I received a phone call, just as I was about to get in my car to go home. The caller I.D. read hospital, so I answered the phone, "Hello". And the hospital staff asked, "Is this Kevin McElhannon I am speaking with"," I replied yes, it is what's the problem?" She then said, "WE just received your daughter in the emergency room and we are trying to revive her."

I REPLIED, "WHAT ARE YOU SURE?""WHAT HAPPENED?"," THIS HAS TO BE A MISTAKE." The nurse said, "She fell in a pool and at the moment she is in a coma", so you need to come to the hospital as soon as possible. I replied, "Okay, thank you". I am on my way. As I hung the phone up I was stunned and I didn't rush right away, hoping I will get a call in 30 minutes or so stating she is okay and stable. I already had this strange feeling that it wasn't going to be okay.

Still trying to cope with what just happened, not leaving right away was the only way I could keep from going crazy, so I could drive to the hospital. Everything was worst than I thought when I arrived at the hospital and I saw her just lying there lifeless my heart-felt nothing but pain with each beat. I knew she was not going to make it, not to mention I felt helpless as her father, because this was out of my control. I picked her up and held her four-year old little body and she was so cold my insides felt sick with grief in my mind I wished it were me instead. I was used to seeing her so full of life and energy, I was in a state of shock.

The warmth, her smile brought into the world was gone and my inside was completely shattered. The trauma has taken a toll on me just looking at her being so limped, lifeless and very cold. I just couldn't believe what has happened at this moment. It was a real nightmare with no way out but to face the reality in front of me. I went on to bury my daughter next to my grandparents in my fathers spot because it was supposed to go in chronological order.

Things were all out-of-order for all of my family and we had to get things back on track.

I had a job working for my father as a supervisor running our intermediate care facilities for minors ages six through eighteen years of age. I had a couple of weeks off the job with pay due to the death of my daughter, but I mentally was still in shock trying to cope with this tragic moment.

I still was not ready to go back to work and my parents were getting concerned about me now. My father came over to my house because I was not taking any phone calls from anybody just staying cooped up in my house lying in bed barely eating. It was cool working for my father, but with it being your father, who owned the business you worked for, you couldn't hide from him that part was not so great.

My father, the head honcho gave me that father to son pep talk about moving through pain and being strong for others that needed me still. So I passed through this experience hurt, in pain, but stronger mentally. Going through this experience I can do anything and handle stress well. Later in life, my parenthood was restored to me God blessed me with my son in August of 2003. As my son grew over the years, I was with my son all the time not missing anything; I even captured his first few steps on video.

I kept my son everyday instead of putting him in daycare while his mother worked and attended college. Keeping my son everyday and nurturing him we formed a very close bond. Knowing what I went through before he was born was tragic for me. Once he was born, my son inspired me soon as he opened his eyes. I knew he was counting on me to be strong.

My son is older now and watching him mature I want to provide the best life possible for him so that he can have a good foundation in life. I am now returning to college to earn my degree in "Health Care Administration" to provide a better life for him. I also want to be a good solid role model for him. My son is my only child now he hugs me everyday and I hug him like it is the last hug I will ever receive from him. My kids both have inspired me in many different ways through pain and joy. I have learned a lot being a parent and I also taught a lot being a parent. Your kids let you know what you are made of through the many unknown trials that you encounter raising and caring for them. Going through the trials of parenting has strengthened me and carved me into who I am. Through it all I have also been inspired by my son to keep moving forward just by looking into his face knowing he is counting on me. As I look into the windows of his soul, he doesn't have to say anything I can see what his eyes are saying I believe in you, I love you, I am counting on you dad, I don't expect for you to let me down. Feeling this gives me the inspiration to keep going when I am tired, weak, and sad or whatever yolk is on my shoulders to pull it together and be a man, a father and a friend who will not let you down.

Going through the trials of life with my kids, I learned how to deal with some tough situations in life and also wisdom. The inspiration was never to quit, you can get real low at times, but always take time to love your family the reflection you get back in the mirror, is love.

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