You are not perfect. Nobody would argue that–least of all your kids. But are you better? Better than you were when they were younger? Better than you were a couple years ago? Better than yesterday?

Rinker Buck wrote a fascinating book about traveling the Mississippi River on a flatboat (an amazing story you can pick up here), but the book begins with some reflections about his mother who was dying. He tells the story of how she came out of her shell in the decades after his father died, how she’d become active in all these organizations and causes, and even made amends for some things that happened during Rinker’s childhood. After his mother died, Rinker’s friend captured the uniqueness of his mother’s journey perfectly. “She changed,” the friend said. “Not many of us can say that about our mothers.”

Will your kids be able to say that? That you got better as you aged (as opposed to, sadly, the way many people harden their hearts and habits)? That you kept working on yourself? That, although you made mistakes, you tended not to make the same ones more than once? That although you didn’t always get it right as a parent, you were a better grandparent?

That’s what we’re trying to do here at Daily Dad. That’s the journey that The Daily Dad book (which you’re supposed to read not once, but to stay with and grow with) is supposed to help with. That’s the goal we have to commit to as parents. To be able to change, to improve, to get better at this as we go.