Blind Love

Yesterday I saw something that really moved me…

As I pulled out of the gas station on my way home from work, I watched as a middle-aged man walked down the street arm-in-arm with a woman who I could only assume was his girlfriend.

You might be wondering, “So you saw a couple walking down the street… what’s so moving about that?”

Well, as I got into the left-hand turn lane, I could tell the man was visually impaired because he was using a white cane to cross the street. What moved me is that his girlfriend, who was holding tightly to his arm as they walked, was completely blind. She was depending on him to lead her to their destination, and I could tell from the confidence in her steps that she trusted him to do so without any concern or worry.

When they reached the other side of the street, I was so captivated by them that I didn’t even notice the light turn green. That is, until the cars behind me started honking. I started my turn onto the cross street and caught a glimpse of them in my rear view mirror.

I was reminded of the old saying that love is blind. If there was ever a moment that epitomized those words, it was literally this one. As far as their love story is concerned, appearance, weight and ethnicity are perfectly irrelevant. If only those with functioning eyes could see as clearly…

Fathers Share…

I wrote this with the intention of posting it on Father’s Day. Unfortunately, the days leading up to and including that day were quite busy. Still I felt the sentiment was relevant any day of the year. So I’ve decided to publish it today. 🙂

FATHERS SHARE…

…their love of books.

…their love of fishing.

…their love of parades.

…their love of sports.

…their love of field trips.

…their love of tea parties.

…their love of sushi.

…their love of music.

…their love of accomplishment.

…their fatherly love for even non-biological children.

EVERY DAY IS FATHERS DAY.

12 Signs You’re A Dad

COUNTDOWN: 5 days until Father’s Day…

1. You know you’re a dad if: Coming home from work actually means being greeted at the door by a wife handing you the baby, and realizing you’ve just started the childcare swing shift.
2. You know you’re a dad if: You realize sleep deprivation is the #1 buzz kill for sex.
3. You know you’re a dad if: “Emergency Money” in your wallet is now spent on fast food runs when mom is away.
4. You know you’re a dad if: You know more about the daily lives of Elmo and Dora the Explorer than Vice President Joe Biden.
5. You know you’re a dad if: You have perfected the “football hold” and it has absolutely NOTHING to do with sports.
6. You know you’re a dad if: Your daily exercise consists of 2-Child Power Lifts on a bean bag.
7. You know you’re a dad if: Your desk at work is devoid of IN/OUT trays, but instead is lined with toys for when your kids come to visit.
8. You know you’re a dad if: You pray for bedtime.
9. You know you’re a dad if: You are the unofficial Weekend Activity Coordinator.
10. You know you’re a dad if: Your kids beg you for a raspberry and they don’t mean fruit.
11. You know you’re a dad if: Your old clothes are now being used as a Middle School fashion coordinate.
12. You know you’re a dad if: Prime Time is now replaced with Book Time.

My Father, Which Art On Earth

COUNTDOWN: 9 days until Father’s Day…

Let me first say that my dad is an amazing man. He is not perfect, but he is amazing nonetheless. Out of all of his children, he and I probably share the most in common… our love for reading, technology and science fiction… our appreciation for the analytical, educated debate and bits of trivia… we can sit and talk for hours. On many occasions we’ve done just that.  I don’t have the tragic father experiences that many of my friends have endured. My parents have been married for 48 years and my father has never been abusive, inattentive, distracted, mean or addicted.

I can tell you who he is though…
He bought me a Commodore 64.
He’s the one who turned me onto reading SciFi.
He took me to get haircuts at Joe’s Barber Shop every weekend.
He helped me put together my first science project in the 3rd grade.
He sat by my hospital bed when I was twelve after I’d been hit by a car.
He stood next to me at my High School graduation, beaming with joy and pride over his youngest son.
He helped me buy my first car (a vintage 1965 VW Beetle Auto-Stick).
He loves his grandchildren like there’s no tomorrow.
He mortgaged his house to send me to school.
He helped remodel my house.
He encourages my music.
He is… the best.

So I was a bit disturbed when I found myself 3 years ago talking with my father… in his hospital room.

But don’t worry… this is a happy story. I’ll start from the beginning…

More than a decade ago, my father had a mild heart attack (that story HERE) and ever since then he’s been having regular full body check-ups as a precaution. Well, in 2009 during one of his  check-ups, the doctors noticed a cyst on one of his kidneys and told him that it would be best to have surgery and remove it. Just to be safe. My father said yes. So on the day they scheduled surgery to remove the cyst, he was told to arrive at the hospital at 5am for a 7am surgery time.

So my parents were up and out of the house, arriving at the hospital by 5:00am where he was admitted and prepped for surgery. But there was a problem… the doctor had a scheduling conflict and there would be a delay.  Hmm… okay.  Apparently, this is a common occurrence.  Something about patients with more acute conditions being bumped up on the schedule. No problem. So my dad sat in the ready room until about 11:30am before the doctor was available. *sigh*  He didn’t actually enter surgery until about 1:30pm.  So the doctor began surgery to remove the cyst only… it wasn’t just a cyst. A biopsy was performed during the surgery which revealed that it was actually cancer. :-O  So the doctor goes in and cuts away the growth and affected tissue.  A second biopsy comes up negative. Thankfully, he was able to remove ALL TRACES OF THE CANCER and my dad has been completely cancer-free ever since! No additional treatment or therapy necessary. See, I told you this was a happy story. 😀 Thank God for early diagnosis!

Now, I would’ve gone to see my dad at the hospital that night, but he didn’t come out of surgery until well after 7:00pm. Even then, they put him in a recovery room for the next 3 hours before moving him to his patient room around 11:00pm. Yeah… what’s that… about 18 hours total? My mom had said to just come visit him in the morning. And so… that’s what I did. Before work, I went to talk and laugh with my dad.

So this post is dedicated to this amazing man. My father.

Letter To My Parents…

This was part of a 30-Day Letter Challenge. I made it to Day 3. lol

COUNTDOWN: 10 days until Father’s Day…

Dear Mom & Dad,

Thank you for being the kind of parents that any child would be proud to call their own. I consider myself extremely blessed and most fortunate to have been raised by two amazing people who know how to love God, love each other and love their children in such a remarkable way. I’m inspired by the fact that you celebrated your 48th wedding anniversary this year! 😀 While I personally know so many people who have given up on their relationships, you’ve proven yourselves to be stalwart advocates of marriage simply by your lives. It’s the stellar example that I live by and strive to emulate.

Mom, your love for me through the years has been a source of strength and healing. You’ve supported me in everything I’ve ever tried to do.  Even when I’d make mistakes and fall down you never condemned me, but rather encouraged me to get back up and keep trying. I know that I can always count on a hug from you that is full of genuine love and complete understanding. Andrea is like you in so many ways. It’s one of the reason I knew she was the perfect one for me.

Dad, you’ve always been my hero. I’ve written about you many times before. Your selfless acts have not gone unnoticed by me. I hope to make you proud of me as your son as proud as I am to have you as my father. You are the standard against which all other fathers are measured.  If my children grow up to admire me as much as I do you, I will consider myself to have been the best father I could possibly be to them.

Thank you both for being two people on whom I can always count. That means more than mere words could ever express.

With love,

Your son, Riis