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June24, 2006 - Hearts and Humor - Kneading The Bread >> |
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Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!! I'm enjoying my day. Last weekend, I was in Ohio and saw my daughter. She gave me a tie. I know you're thinking that is the normal thing for a dad to get for Father's Day, but this was an Ohio State tie. I'm a big fan of the Ohio State Buckeye football team. It was the perfect gift. I really messed up last week. I posted my story but somehow lost the lead-in to the story and all your wonderful comments to the story before that. I don't know what I did wrong. It was late. I was tired. I messed up. I will repost those comments and the comments to my story about my dad. The last story talked about my alcoholic dad and how I got through that rough childhood. It was my sad Father's Day story. Today I bring you a happy Father's Day story. Today, Ginny took me to lunch on the Hudson River. We went to a paddle boat converted into a restaurant. It sits on the Jersey side of the Hudson River, with a view of Manhattan. We sat on the deck, covered from the sun, with a river breeze cooling us from the more than 90 degree temperatures. My lunch was wonderful, especially with a beatiful woman sitting across from me. Ginny asked me what I wanted for Father's Day. I told her, "Nothing. Just let me have the day to sit in my room and write. I have so many story ideas I haven't had the chance to write yet." I am in my room, I have my blues music playing, and I am writing. I have two stories done so far. I am posting you the first one I did today. For the dads (Moms too) with young children, don't miss out on what they can teach you. Did you know, they make yogurt colored shirts? I do! Your wonderful comments are posted below, unless I mess it up again. Enjoy. I love you all. The Color of Yogurt "What color it is?" my grandson Benny asked me, pointing to the patio chairs. "Blue." I replied. "Booo." he repeated. He pointed to his shirt, "What color it is?" "Green." "What color it is?" pointing at my pants. "Purple." I lied. "No, no, no, no. No! It bwown." "Very good, Benny! It is brown." Benny is two and a half. In the last few months, his vocabulary has taken off. He's quite proud of it. I am reminded of my own kids at this age. I wish I had written down the things they said. I remember my son coming to me one day, "Dad? What's the groan area?" "The what?" "You know, Dad! The groan area!" he motioned his hands in front of his private area. "The groan area, Daddy?" "Do you mean the groin area?" "Yeah! That's it! The groin area! What is that, daddy?" ********************* I'm lucky to have the opportunity to experience this verbal growth again. I sure get a lot of laughs. Little Benny loves to name his colors. Ginny had him in a department store. She was looking at shirts. As she moved along, slowly examining them, Benny reached out to each one, lifted it and stated the color of the fabric. He came to a new one, reached out, lifted it, put it down and reached for the next. "Benny, you missed one. What color is this?" Ginny asked him. Benny stared at it, a look of concentration on his face. Ginny could tell he wasn't sure what color it was. "Yogurt." he finally said. Apparently, his favorite flavor of yogurt is pink. ********************* Benny comes to me, "Mum, Mum!" He pauses. "Gin, Gin!" I wait for him to get it right. "Poppa!" "Yes, Benny." He's in such a hurry to tell me something, he gets the names mixed up. Benny pointed to a lamp. "This?" "No, Benny. Not that. Don't touch the lamp." "Nope! Sawwy." He says and then points to my glasses, "This?" "No! Poppa needs those." Around the room he goes, determining the things he can and cannot touch. He points to a book, "This?" "Sure, Benny. You can touch that." "Otay! T'ank you." and off he goes. ********************* They grow older and learn to put sentences together. They know more words, but it's hard for them to grasp certain concepts. Ginny and I took our six-year-old grandson to see the Statue of Liberty. We drove down New Jersey side of the Hudson River. Seth looked across the river at Manhattan, "Poppa Mike! GinGin, Look! It's the Vampire State Building." ********************* A cruise ship was going down the river. "Seth, look at the big cruise ship!" "That's not a cruise ship, Poppa! That's a party boat!" Sometimes kids get it absolutely right. ********************* Seth was helping Ginny cook dinner one night. "GinGin, little kids can't cook, can they?" "Sure they can," she replied. "They can cook with supervision." There was a pause before Seth asked, "You mean you have to have super vision to cook?" ********************* Little Benny sat on my lap on the deck. Seth walked up, "Benny, you have my shirt on!" "Seth, it's OK!" I said. "That shirt doesn't fit you anymore. It's too small for you." "Poppa Mike, how come clothes get smaller?" he asked. ********************* Of course there is Josh and his trains, which he calls, "HooHoo's." He turned a train car full of tired people, into a car full of smiles, as he screamed, "Poppa Mike! Poppa Mike! Look! Hoohoo's! And fracks!!! Poppa, look at the fracks!" You can read this story at: http://archives.zinester.com/86758/84295.html ********************* Our childhood statements sometimes stick with us for life. Ginny walked up to me one day. "There you are!" I said. "Here I are!" She replied. It was something she used to say when her parents asked her, when she was a kid. "Ginny? Where are you?" "Here I are!" she'd say. Now her and I say it to each other. ********************* I'm not much help to them. They were in their little wading pool playing. I looked over the deck, "Seth, what's that in the pool?" He looked, "It's a chip." They had been eating potato chips near the pool. "It's a chip wreck?" I asked. "Poppaaaa!" he scolded me. "Is it a sunken chip?" "Poppaaaa!" he scolded me again. "It must be a party chip then." "Poppaaaa Mike!!! You're silly." It's a great stage in their life to witness. Don't miss it. If you do, you might never know, they make shirts the color of yogurt. I just made you laugh - I hope I did. Now here is something to make you cry. This is something a friend sent me. I cried like a baby. Enjoy http://parentswish.com Michael T. Smith I love your comments. Please send them to mtsmith@qwestonline.com Here are comments from the last few stories. In response to the story about my dad. What a touching story, Michael. Yes, sometimes adversity teaches the best lessons of all, and others profit by the results of those lessons. Thank you for being such a love to all of us readers. Evegene ************** Hey there Mike - how yer doin' buddy? Well my friend - this story of yours explains a lot about you. Children of alcoholics always have the same 'patterns play out in their lives. So many things you've written to me personally - or I've seen in your writings - have indicated this. Much love to you my wonderful friend Philster **************** Dear Mike, How heartbreaking to read about your father's drunken, frightening behavior towards you, your brothers, and mother. With Father's Day so near, I suppose he is foremost in your thoughts. I commend you for being able to forgive him for the past and learn a better way to treat your wife and children. That speaks volumes to me about your good character. Here's wishing you a very Happy Father's Day coming up on Sunday, because I know you're a fine, fun, wonderful father to Vanessa and Justin. Grasp your dreams, Sandi **************** Dearest Michael, from my heart to your I am sending you as much love as you need to heal the wounds and the scars of your childhood. You are also a great deal braver than I am, I don't want to revisit my childhood at all. Like you though my childhood did teach me how to love my own children, and now my grandchildren. My only other comment is that the way you have written this story about your Dad tells me you have already forgiven him and accepted that he was facing all his demons every day. ....with forever love Rosemary ************ Not everyone is able to learn the lessons you did from your dad. Many would use it as an excuse to act just like him. You and your brothers are admirable to turn out well as you did. I think you took the worst situation and made something positive out of it. You are a good man. Diana ******************** |
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