It’s in the Bank. For good.

My lawn is a little scraggily.  My 16 year old mows it now, and only when it really needs it.  He does a pretty good job, about as well as I'd do it.   My house doesn't look too bad, nothing like that yard in Malcolm in the Middle.  But, it's not the picture of perfection.  It's average.  No one passes by and gasps, either because it's a recent winner the Lawn of the Week, or looks like this.

But that's okay with me.  I was thinking yesterday that the time I don't spend on the lawn is spent with family, in general.  My weekends are full of family stuff and weekends are when I'd otherwise do the extra lawn work.  The difference is, the time with family will always, always, always be time in the Quality Time bank or "Dad Look at Me!" bank.  If it's not a definitive memory made, it at least has that potential.

If you win a Superbowl championship but hawk the ring, you are still a Superbowl champion.  You could murder someone and be thrown in jail, declare bankruptcy, get divorced, die, whatever.  You are still a Superbowl champion.  No one can take that away.   That's the same thing about time with the kids.  No one can ever take away that time I've already spent, and every moment is more important to them than if I won a Superbowl championship.

The lawn would just need more work next Thursday.