As parents we are many things.  At times we are the masters, at times we are the mentors.  We have to be both teacher and preacher.  We have to lead and feed and seed our children so that they grow into happy and productive adults.  We live in stressful and complicated times and now, more than ever, it is important to just be happy!  As many of us – myself included – can relate to, that is often easier said than done.

Don’t Worry, Be Passionate!

One of the surest ways to be happy is to pursue things you have a passion for, no matter what it is.  Reading, writing, cooking, knitting, drawing, sports, music, whatever it is that gives you that tingle of adrenalin and makes you smile just thinking about doing it, is the thing you should make sure you are finding ways to pursue.  As a dad, I have tried to make my passions obvious to my kids, and stressed to them the benefit of being passionate and, trite as it may sound, following your dreams.  As parents, I think it is our job to encourage our kids to believe that every door can be opened for them if they believe it, and are willing to work for it.

Guitar Man

With that in mind, I am enormously proud of my son Ethan, who moved to Boston today to pursue his dream and passion for his guitar at the Berklee College of Music.  When he first graduated from High School, he did not take the necessary steps to apply for admission to Berklee and he ended up in the music program at a local University. However, he did not give up, and set a goal to transfer to Berklee, a goal he has now achieved.  As a new door opens for him in Boston, it is with mixed emotions that I close the door to his room here at home.  I will sorely miss the sound of his guitar, which has been a welcome household soundtrack for many years, but I can only be happy and proud to know he is pursuing his dream.

Before he left, I made this video of him “jamming” in his room.  Of course, I am partial, but I hope you enjoy it, and more importantly, I hope you too are helping your kids open the doors to their passions and dreams, whatever they may be.

Jeff Sass is the proud dad of ZEO (Zach, 21, Ethan, 19 and Olivia, 18).  He is also a seasoned entertainment and technology exec and active social media enthusiast.  You can see more of Jeff’s writing at Sassholes! and Social Networking Rehab.