• Daddy the protector.

    Two events have driven home a true appreciation for what the future may hold for me as a parent. Twice, my daughter’s well being has been broached by strangers. It hasn’t been anything serious; one person with a vocal attitude and another with a loose handle on their gum. While not exactly a full frontal assault, it has been enough to show up on my protective radar. My emotional reactions have been disproportionate to the offenses. No, I have not had the urge to inflict bodily harm, but I have been angry. No, I have not been driven to loud outbursts of raging anger, but I have done some stewing in my own juices. Until now we’ve been able to protect Beth from everything. We can directly control what she sees on TV, who she associates with, and where she goes. Starting with Kindergarten, I sense that this absolute control is waning. What will I do when I can’t protect her anymore? I’m just beginning to feel a little helpless. There’s a long road ahead, I have no idea where we’re going, and I don’t have a map. All aboard!

  • Illness strikes back.

    This time it’s Cheryl’s mother’s turn. We told Beth that her Mem-may was not feeling well, and she decided to say a little prayer for her: “God, please help make Mem-may feel better, and make sure it’s before Christmas so she can open all of her presents.”

  • How do you feel?

    On more than one occasion, someone has asked me if I was concerned about events in the world today. It has been more than one person, and at different times, so they weren’t connected. It makes me wonder, is there a prevalent sense of dread out there? Terror is in the news and talk of war is in the air, but I feel oddly indifferent. Are things any different now than they were ten years ago, or twenty. Sure, last fall was a significant event, and it has had a lasting effect on some specific aspects of my life; but my day to day life seems unchanged. Sure, its a little more inconvenient to travel, but I don’t travel that much. How else is my life different? My answer: it isn’t. Furthermore, when aren’t we at war? Since 1991 we have fought in Iraq, Africa, the Balkans, Afghanistan, and now possibly Iraq again. Forgive me if I’m a little desensitized, but I have an overwhelming sense of deja vu. Sure, an invasion of Iraq is a little different than our minimal involvement in Africa, but this still isn’t the first major military engagement of my life time (re: Vietnam and the Gulf War). And who can forget Grenada!

    Of course something important is happening in the world, it just seems like business as usual, that’s all.