A Life Full of Good Kids

My wife and I are childless, but by no means are we without children in our lives.  And they're damn fine kids - every one of them.  Here's an example of interactions over the past couple of weeks:

• Spent opening hunting with a buddy and his 14 year old son.  Had a ball
• Had a buddy and his 11 year old son over this past weekend to attend a game at Lambeau.  By the end of the weekend a boy we didn't even know at the start gave my wife and I a hug good-bye
• Sent a letter of recommendation to another buddy's son for inclusion in his college applications.  Got a really nice email thank you in return
• Spent Sunday golfing with a buddy and his eleven year old son.  The kid played great, learned some new profanity, and did not tell his mom on us.
• Later that day, that same buddy's eight year old daughter stopped by to deliver a belated birthday gift to me - a rubber band bracelet, done up in Vikings purple and gold
• I received a letter from my niece last week, completely out of the blue, just checking in and letting us know that she misses us.
• I had a nice text conversation with my other niece yesterday, and that one ended with her telling me she loved me and missed me

In every one of these examples, there is one common theme - these are all great kids.  They're well mannered, polite, fun, engaged, active, and interactive.   And I think that it is a great testament to their parents, and how they were raised.

I am constantly impressed by the quality of the kids in my life.  And that gives me hope that maybe our future is not as bleak as it may appear right now.