We had the opportunity to go see a Christmas program by Word Of Life Ministries when we lived in Florida, called Sights & Sounds of Christmas. As a minister of a church in their local area, we actually got to attend the dinner and show for free, and greatly enjoyed the opportunity. 

I have a large family, so events like this can quickly become expensive. We are grateful for their generosity while we lived there. It was a wonderful production, and our whole family loved it and had a great time.

We arrived early, since seating was on a first-come basis. As we were waiting, another family walked it and hovered in the lobby, also waiting for the doors to open. They were a nice looking family. But they didn’t really attract my attention at first. Just a father and mother, with four typical kids. The girls were chatting together, and the oldest son, who seemed to be sixteen or seventeen, had ear buds in.

But a few minutes later, I glanced up to see the father and son talking in a corner. This wasn’t any kind of “he’s in trouble” talking, and it don’t look serious. It looked to me like the dad just pulled his son away from the crowd to have a moment together.

I have no idea what they were talking about. It might have been about school that day. It could have been about their plans for the next day. Maybe even about a girl the kid liked.

But as I watched, the son gave his dad a really big hug.

I don’t know this family. I never saw them before that night, and may not ever see them again. But I could see in that few moments that this son loved his father. That implies that the father had invested enough into this relationship to develop it to the point where the son could hug his father in public without embarrassment.

That tells me that this guy was intentional about being a great dad.

Good job, Dad! Way to go! Thanks for the example and the encouragement you gave to another dad who happened to be watching!

As a result, I have been challenged to make sure that I hug my kids, and to do so no matter where we may be. It’s important that they know I love them, to be sure. But it’s also important that they know I’m not embarrassed or ashamed to be seen hugging them where others might see. That can build their confidence in my love faster than almost anything else.

So dad’s, hug your kids. Do it out in public. Don’t intentionally draw attention to it, but don’t be afraid of others seeing it either. Your kids will notice!

Question: How is your relationship with your kids? Do they hug you in public? You can leave a comment by clicking here.