Guilty As Charged!

Hi and welcome to my new blog.  I have been debating over whether to start this again or not.  So I thought I would give it one more try.  I used to have a blog on yahoo 360 and I really enjoyed it, but I kept having problems with blog entries disappearing, spam, and I even had my password hijacked.   So I went to Myspace and I still have a profile there, but their blog system is tough to work with.  That’s pretty much how I ended up here.

Anyway, this blog will be about whatever I can think to write about.  Movies, Sports, and Politics are all things I’m interested in, but I want this blog to be more than that.  I want to talk about family, religion, and being a weekend Dad also. 

The opinions are mine and they can sometimes be harsh.  Hopefully, they will also be heartfelt and entertaining.   Thanks for checking me out.  Be sure to buckle up….It’s gonna be a bumpy ride!

 

Holding Hands

Being a weekend Dad, I think you have a better appreciation of the things your child brings into your life.  It’s almost a little like being a Grandparent.  Your child is with you for a time…then they go home.  Your first thoughts are very Grandparent like…”aahh, the peace and quiet”.  Your second thoughts bring you back to reality…”man, it’s too quiet around here.”  Being a weekend Dad, everything is amplified.  The hugs are more important, the talks mean more, the giggles are priceless…the silence is deafening.

As my daughter slowly (please be slowly) makes her way from her early childhood to those ever increasing “growny” stages, I see the changes.  I don’t deal very well with them yet…but I see them.  Having been invited to join her for lunch at school last week, I saw them first hand.  I won’t ever forget that look she gave me as she rounded the corner and saw me standing there.  Almost total disbelief and elation all rolled up into one big smile.  She hugged me and quickly grabbed my hand, possibly afriad that I might try to escape at any minute.  The thought did cross my mind…briefly.  That’s when it happened.  She realized that all of her friends were watching us…holding hands.  She swiftly jerked her hand from mine and then maturely said, “Just follow me, Daddy.”  Being the good soldier that I am, I followed orders.  The meal was great.  PB & J’s, cookies, and grapes.  I was right at home.  And the other kids were very receiving of me as we discussed such major topics as favorite Wii games and who was last out at dodgeball that day.   Lunch was soon over and I returned to my car with a whispered “I love you” and a quick hug.  The thing that lingered however, was that pulled away hand hold. 

I swear holding hands with that child is my anchor.  It’s the first bond when words can’t be passed, starting with those tiny little fingers all curled around just one of yours.  You think you are doing it for them.  You are providing a comfort.  You are calming their fears.  You are entertaining them with that little hand-holding swing while you walk together.  But the truth is, they probably don’t need it half as much as you do.   You find it calming your fears of not being able to be with them.  It comforts you and lets you know they are happy.  And being of childlike mind, I kinda enjoy the swing game as well.  

I know they have to grow up and part of being a parent is learning to let go.  Don’t mean I have to like it.

Later