insert witty title here

This is my third Christmas without being in the kid's lives full-time and I have to say that it isn't any easier than it was the previous two times. There are so many little things that wait in the silence of hindsight when a father moves out of his children's home.

Not being able to snag one to sit on your lap when you feel lonesome
No longer wading into their squabbles and dispensing justice
Not kissing them goodnight everynight like you always have
No longer being their one-stop-shop for answers
Not seeing them grow on a daily basis
Not kissing those scraped knees or elbows better
No more carrying them up to bed when they fall asleep in the car
No more seeing their faces when they wake up on Christmas morning
Not being there to help them when they're frustrated with their homework
No more tiptoeing into their bedroom with their mother to watch them sleep


If I could offer one piece of advice to any fathers considering divorce it would be to take the time to weigh all of these things against the unhappiness you feel with your wife.

They aren't as inconsequential as you might think.