Dad Entry #29

I haven’t posted a journal entry in over a month. Well, I read this today online and I have to post it. This is an excerpt from an article entitled “My Father: The Outlaw” by Juan F. Thompson, the son of Hunter S. Thompson, “I understood him when I became a father. Only then could I understand how completely and totally a father loves his child, from the day he is born, and how that love just increases. A couple of months after my son was born, I called my father and told him that I finally really understood that he loved me and always had. He didn't say much, something like, "Well…uh…good. Did you see the Raiders game on Sunday?" It was okay. He didn't have to say anything more. I understood.” My sentiments, exactly. About love between father and children, I mean. My father is, and always has been, expressive and affectionate so that part doesn’t apply to me, just the fact that experiencing fatherhood puts the feeling, the love, into another place in terms of realization or recognition, like going from black-and-white to color, 2-D to 3, like thinking about sky-diving vs. doing it… whatever. In fact, not that long ago, I scribbled this onto a piece of paper, “Just imagine if God loves us like we love our children. Just imagine.” That’s a rather pleasant thought, actually (sorry, I feel a sudden need to sprinkle levity) and when held or achieved or believed, even the slightest bit, not much can disturb.

We saw Kung Fu Panda the other day. Right in the middle of the movie, Michael turned and said to me emphatically, “You were right, Daddy, this IS a cool movie!” It was a little too much stimulation for Meggie, though. Her eyes were very wide during most of the film and when I whispered a question to her once or twice like, “Are you okay, Love?” or “Po is funny, don’t you think?” she chattered on, mostly gibberish around words like ‘fast’ and ‘loud’ and ‘flying’ and ‘crash’, for several moments in response while I tried to get her to lower her voice in the theater. I love sitting by Megan at the movies. Of course, her knees don’t bend over the edge of the seat. They don’t reach the edge of the seat. Her feet barely do. We can fit a little bag or bowl of popcorn in between her short little legs though and she’s quite happy. So cute.