Real Stuff My Dad Says 38: Super Chicken!

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As a boy, I loved the Saturday morning cartoon Super Chicken!

Within almost every episode, in the course of a plan to defeat the bad guys, Super Chicken would suggest something dangerous for his lion-sidekick, Fred to attempt. After reluctantly carrying out this dangerous deed (and often ending up inn bandages afterward) Super Chicken would respond, “You knew the job was dangerous when you took it, Fred.”

So, how does this Saturday morning memory play out in our lives today?

First off, by taking the time to sit and watch a silly cartoon with me, my dad showed me that my interests (as silly as they may have been) had value to my dad. Therefore, he made me feel that I was that much more valuable to him as well.

Secondly, when I find myself in dilemmas as a parent, disagreements with my wife, questions regarding my kids’ education… the list of complicated decisions that I make goes on and on. And, just as Super Chicken reminded Fred, my dad still today reminds me, “You knew the job was dangerous when you took it.”

You see, we often make decisions that have far-reaching, and sometimes unintended, consequences.

And whether we want to accept the fact or not, the truth is that we are responsible for the consequences of our decisions.

But, how do we walk alongside someone in their hour of pain – even while the pain is brought on by their own decisions? Well, as my dad says, it’s important to comfort them and work with them together to make it through, with kindness, gentleness and truth – spoken in love.