They Got My Toe Charlie. They Got My Toe...
This post was originally written for the amazingly cool NYC Mama. You can check out her Celebrating Dad feature right here. I urge you. No, I absolutely implore you to check out her site. Happy Father's Day to all. Rock it.
I have to admit that I am terrible at stopping to smell the roses. I'm constantly on the go. I'm always stressed out. I'm like that proverbial Hamster in the wheel. I run and run but often get nowhere. There are so many missed opportunities in life and most of the time; you don't get a second chance. When you have kids, it's easy to get caught up in the rigmarole. As a parent, I find myself taking the shortcuts most of the time, to get things done. This is bad. I don't do this on purpose. I have become a product of my environment. I feel as if there are times that I don't pay enough attention to what's most important.
Father's Day is coming again. I don't feel like I deserve another "Kiss the Cook" apron. I can't accept a subscription to the beer of the month catalog in good conscience. I am not worthy of a "One Free Kiss" coupon. My two daughters show me unconditional love. They didn't choose me. They never take me for granted. It will be almost seven years since I held my baby daughter in my arms for the first time. It's hard to look back on that day and put it into words. Becoming a Dad changed my life. It made me recognize my own mortality. It taught me how to give love from the deepest place in my soul and how to accept it, just the same. Who would have thought that living with three females, would teach me what it means to be a man?
Family is the most important thing in the universe. It trumps everything. It is the Royal Straight Flush of life. Today I stopped to smell the roses... Kind of. What I found was something that shook me to the core. Aside from having feet that bare the resemblance to that of a family of frogs or some similar amphibious creature, I think I found life's meaning.
Both of my precious, beautiful and unique daughters, for better or for worse, have my toe. They have the exact same fucking toe. This is what being a Dad is all about. This is my Löwenbräu moment.
There are 34 toes in our house that will forever be... Out-Numbered.
Happy Father's Day!
I have to admit that I am terrible at stopping to smell the roses. I'm constantly on the go. I'm always stressed out. I'm like that proverbial Hamster in the wheel. I run and run but often get nowhere. There are so many missed opportunities in life and most of the time; you don't get a second chance. When you have kids, it's easy to get caught up in the rigmarole. As a parent, I find myself taking the shortcuts most of the time, to get things done. This is bad. I don't do this on purpose. I have become a product of my environment. I feel as if there are times that I don't pay enough attention to what's most important.
Father's Day is coming again. I don't feel like I deserve another "Kiss the Cook" apron. I can't accept a subscription to the beer of the month catalog in good conscience. I am not worthy of a "One Free Kiss" coupon. My two daughters show me unconditional love. They didn't choose me. They never take me for granted. It will be almost seven years since I held my baby daughter in my arms for the first time. It's hard to look back on that day and put it into words. Becoming a Dad changed my life. It made me recognize my own mortality. It taught me how to give love from the deepest place in my soul and how to accept it, just the same. Who would have thought that living with three females, would teach me what it means to be a man?
Family is the most important thing in the universe. It trumps everything. It is the Royal Straight Flush of life. Today I stopped to smell the roses... Kind of. What I found was something that shook me to the core. Aside from having feet that bare the resemblance to that of a family of frogs or some similar amphibious creature, I think I found life's meaning.
Both of my precious, beautiful and unique daughters, for better or for worse, have my toe. They have the exact same fucking toe. This is what being a Dad is all about. This is my Löwenbräu moment.
There are 34 toes in our house that will forever be... Out-Numbered.
Happy Father's Day!
This was by far, one of my favorite blogs. Happy Fathers Day to you !! xoxox
ReplyDeleteHoly Crap...that is hysterical...damn, I need to go check out our kid, see what she may have "inherited" from us.
ReplyDeleteHappy Fathers Day my friend...!!
Whoa... my daughter has the exact same toe. She calls it her "crooked toe", (although until she was about six she pronounced it "croak-ed" which I wish she hadn't outgrown). Maybe you're related, like those extra-toed Hemingway cats from Key West.
ReplyDeleteHow utterly . . . odd. Who was the one that noticed this?
ReplyDeleteHappy Father's Day, Jason. Enjoy.
Mutants!!! Ah! Happy Father's Day!
ReplyDeleteI am totally NOT a foot person. you just grossed me out...and right before dinner. thanks for ruining my day...
ReplyDeletej/k(a little) Happy Father's Day!!
Thankfully, both my sister and I avoided my mother's (and her mother's) crooked pinky and my father's attached earlobes. But Good Christ, I drew the short end of the stick when it came time for teeth. These chompers could gnaw through concrete.
ReplyDeleteYour post is TOE-tally awesome. Happy Dad's Day!
ReplyDelete"They have the exact same fucking toe." That is priceless. And your picture is awesome. Great post! Thanks for sharing that.
ReplyDeleteFreaky - if only for the reason that my wife and two sons have exactly the same toe on their left foot also. Who would have thought?
ReplyDeleteNow if my wife was not genetically predisposed to said toe - I may have had to grab a flight and come ask you some tough questions!
Thanks for the post
Mark.
PS. I take it that yours is the big hairy foot, and that one of your daughters was not doubly unfortunate in the foot department. If yours is the wee one with the paint job - nice!
*analyzes feet......gasps*
ReplyDeletePAPA?????
lol, thats so cool the weird trait that seems to pass down in our family is sticking our tongues out when we are concintrating .
ReplyDeleteMeh, they could have inherited a lot of worse things from you.
ReplyDeleteHappy Father's Day, you deserve it.
Love all the new peeps commenting. So glad to have you here. Enjoy the weekend!
ReplyDeleteas touching as this was, your toe creeps me out bigtime.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post!! Happy Father's Day! I hope that you have a great day and get what you want.:) I love your quirky thoughts. Although as a mother I have seen quite a lot that my daughters have inherited from me.:)
ReplyDeleteSo have you been to my blog lately? Or have you read your dashboard Shouts yet? You won the free book from the drawing and I'm waiting to hear from you so we can have Cynthia send you the book. You can send me a private shout or a message on Facebook.
Take a look at my post for Father's Day.
I was not lucky enough to inherit my Dad's crooked toe, sadly I am stuck with my Mum's finger toes ... It's never a 'flip-flop' day for me! Happy Father's Day
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post. You should have called it the Legacy of the toe. Very funny indeed. If you get a chance, stop by my blog and enter my one year anniversary contest. It's a girly prize but you could win it for the females in your life. Happy Fathers Day!!
ReplyDeleteThat is too funny! I love how little parts of us show up on our kids.
ReplyDeleteHope you have a Happy Father's Day!
Now you have parents grabbing their kids by the ears to see what the inherited from them. Poor kids are wondering what's going on...lol. Have a great Father's day!
ReplyDeleteVery funny.
ReplyDeleteHappy Father's Day!
that is strange
ReplyDelete