My Family
I am very fortunate to have a lovely wife (Kathryn) and three incredible sons (Evan (9), Emmett (7), and Nolan (3)), and my lovely daughter Mary. She doesn’t like when I call her “baby” as in “hi baby”. She reminds me she’s a “little girl”. In fact, I credit my family with being the motivation behind my efforts to transition out of the practice of law to my Internet businesses. I was tired of leaving the house so early that my kids were still sleep when I left, and getting home so late that they were already in bed by the time I got back. I was afraid of hearing one more time “Mommy, who’s that guy at the front door?”, and having them be referring to me!
Now, for the past two years, I’ve been able to spend a great deal of time with my kids, and my wife (not sure how she feels about it, but I like it). I’m home in the morning when they get up, and home in the afternoon when they get home from school, and I can even run out in the yard, and play with them in the middle of the week, without feeling like I’m missing something at work.
I am actively involved with their swim team activities, and I also train with them in Karate, so I have to say, that I very much enjoy this scenario compared to the old routine.
Evan, my first born, is very academically gifted. He loves to read, and is more likely to be found in his room with a good book as opposed to a toy. But, he does enjoy his “GameBoy” when he’s not reading. Evan is very articulate, and is better company than most adults I know, some with law degrees. He’s active in sports, and especially likes swim team and Boy Scouts.
Emmett, my middle son is a terror just like I was. I guess this is what my parents prayed for as I was growing up. Emmett likes to read, but is more likely to be found with a book of matches as he is to be found with a good book to read. He loves his “GameBoy” too, but he also loves playing outside, riding his bike, and watching me work in the yard, and sometimes even helping! Emmett is a tough kid. He doesn’t whine when he gets hurt like Evan and I do, which makes it more important to keep an eye on him, because he won’t tell you when something you’ve done hurt his feelings, or hurt him physically. He’s an absolute crack up though with some of the pithy stuff he comes up with. He’s a joker just like his Dad!
Nolan, my youngest son, is too young to completely figure out yet. On the one hand, he’s very articulate and expressive for a three year old, thanks to having two older brothers to follow around. But, he’s got his own personality which I would characterize as a cross between Evan, and Emmett. He’s probably closer to me than the other two, only because I’ve been home full time for most of his life, and so he’s been able to see me more. He’s the first one to jump in the car when I’m going to Home Depot, so I guess that makes him my riding partner. If I had to guess, I think that Nolan will probably be more talented as an athlete than either Evan or Emmett, because he’s very coordinated even at the age of three. He doesn’t know how to walk yet, meaning that he runs everwhere he goes, at 100 miles/hr., all day long. I get my exercise just trying to keep up with him.
Mary, our final addition to the family has been a real joy for us. I’m sure my wife appreciates having a female child in the house, and the boys don’t mind her either. In fact, I think they love having a little sister. We’ll see how long that lasts when they start having to compete with her for the car! So far, it appears that Mary is closest with Nolan, my youngest son, and you would expect that beause of the age differences, but Mary is a favorite amongst us all, especially as you has gotten older and become more interactive (at this writing she is three years old).
My wife is one of the most patient people I’ve ever known. You’d have to be to be married to me. She is very supportive of everything I do, and was the only one that didn’t think I was crazy when I wanted to close the law firm in favor of my Internet businesses. While she did not graduate from college, mostly because we got married, she could definitely teach most people who did a thing or two. She has a passion for history, second only to taking care of her family, a job which she has done with incredible skill.
As for the rest of my family, I have two parents, Julius and Frances, who still acknowledge me as their child, despite all of my shortcomings, although my father still isn’t quite sure whether to brag about my being a lawyer anymore or not. I think he’ll get used to the fact that technology, the Internet, and my Internet businesses are now my passion, and that they make me very happy, because of the fact that they give me more time with my family, including him!
My father is very special to me even though I don’t often stop to tell him so. I have never seen a man work harder for his family than he did when I was a kid, and while I didn’t always agree with his way of getting things across to me, I fully understand what he intended as I look back. When I was very young, I remember my father working at a chemical factory. That is why he wore the steel toed shoes. I used to get up early in the morning with him, and have breakfast with him while he drank his coffee before leaving for work in the morning. Then, I would go back to bed, and get up with my mother, and have breakfast again. That is until they found out that I was being fed twice!
Anyway, my father changed jobs once, and went to work at the Jewish Community Center in Newark, New Jersey. While he was there, he decided to go back to school and get his college degree. He worked full time, and went to school at night at Essex County Community College. He eventually went on to complete his studies at Pace University, and eventually left the Community Center to take a job with Xerox where he has been ever since. During that entire time, from about fourth grade through high school for me, it seems like he never missed a little league baseball or football game, and more times than not was even there for my practices. I didn’t undertand how much of a feat that was until I got older, but it was extremely impressive once I did understand what it took from him to do it! I will never forget how much that meant to me.
My mother who has always been solid as a rock for the family, thinks that anything I do is the greatest thing ever. I therefore have her on payroll as my public relations manager. She and my father have been an incredible team forever, and I really have to say that it’s almost wierd. As an attorney, I have personally witnessed more family violence, divorce, custody issues, etc., than I care to remember. But, I can honestly say that I have never even seen my parents argue in 43 years of being around them. I don’t know why. Maybe they pick their times carefully, but whatever they do, they do a good job of keeping it to themselves.
Personally, I think my mother has simply mastered the art of having my father think he makes all the decisions. But, I have to give my father credit for playing along like he doesn’t know what’s going on either. I guess that’s what makes them a great team.
On my wife’s side, I am fortunate to have some great in-laws. I thought sure when I decided to get married that I would have been jailed by now for at least mayhem committed against an inlaw. That was just my perception of what being married would be like. But, I am pleased to report that we have the most supportive, and caring inlaws anyone could ask for. Considering that my Father and Mother-In-Law, live only 4 minutes away (I’ve timed it), they are never intrusive, always there to help, and always thinking of the family. It’s truly extraordinary. I have two brother-in-laws, and two sister-in-laws, and again, they are all great!
So, you see, I live a rather charmed family life. I hope you do too!
