I just read a wonderful short article titled Hidden Above Manhattan: A Gay Son’s Link to his Dad. Take a couple of minutes and read it. Well written and moving, the viewpoint differs from most of our daily encounters. The article made me think about the legacy a Dad who works in construction provides a child.

Dads in construction tend to be a bit overwhelming, I think. Most kids see their Dads go off to work and really don’t have any idea what about their job. Dads in construction, on the other hand, have these huge projects to walk through and experience at the various levels of completion. Noise, camaraderie, danger and respect all emerge on a jobsite visit. Most Dads tend to be bigger than life to their children anyway, but the construction site amplifies this concept. “If Dad controls (or is a part of) this, what else can he do?”

So I challenge you to consider this long shadow cast by constructing Dads (or Moms). In your joy of sharing what you love doing with your kids, remember to encourage them in what they love doing. Encourage them to find something as satisfying for their life as construction has been for you.

And if you read this and don’t love what you do, but just drag yourself to the jobsite for your daily 50 cents. Then get out of this business and find something you enjoy. Life goes way too fast and matters too much to settle for living out someone else’s script.