Sunday, June 20, 2021

A Father's Day

I took zero pictures today. I thought about it approximately 87 times but then immediately got distracted by something and just didn't. In my defense, there was a lot going on when the kids were here. There's ALWAYS a lot going on when the kids are here.

Brunch sort of turned into lunch as both Hank and Lily had a hard time getting out of the house. Hank was still trying to write trivia for tonight and Lily first had to get Maggie in the shower because instead of just playing in the rain the way she was supposed to be doing, she played in the mud too.
Now you can't blame a girl for that. 
And then they couldn't get Pepper the dog into the house. Maybe she wanted to play in the mud too. 
So by the time we actually all sat down at the table, it was noonish. 
Gibson gave everything I'd cooked a score. 
Bacon- ten out of ten. 
Sausage- ten out of ten.
Eggs- eight out of ten. 
Pancakes- nine out of ten.
And his mother's hashbrown casserole came in with a ten out of ten. So it was a pretty good breakfast. 
Nobody went hungry, I'll say that. 

And then there was playing and stuff. A little book reading. Owen listening in on the adult's conversation. He's at the age where he laps all of that up. And it can get interesting when Hank's around. We checked out the chicks. Maggie "drove" the go-cart with dolls beside her. It was all pretty fun. She wanted to go look in the garden and see what vegetables we had. I picked her some zinnias. She asked for a pink one for her mother because pink is her favorite color. 
When they left, we just sort of collapsed. I finished cleaning up the kitchen and then I finished making the Fat Man Pie. 
Hoo-boy. That thing could probably provide ten adult human's daily caloric needs for a week. Not their nutritional needs but their caloric ones. 

It's a bit odd that Father's Day isn't a bad day for me, considering my history with fathers. Fathers of mine, that is. First I had the one I call My Old Drunk Dead Daddy, and then the one I call The Asshole. 
The first one would disappear for weeks at a time, abandoning his wife and children with no idea where he was and no money for food; the second was a sexual abuser. 
I do not remember one Father's Day from my childhood although perhaps we did have a few celebrations for my grandfather who was a good man, and I'm sure we also had some for The Asshole but I've thankfully blocked those from memory. 
And I doubt there was anything in the world I wanted more than I daddy when I was growing up. My stepfather's ability to find a woman with a daughter who was so perfectly poised for grooming as a victim was impeccable. Hey! He was a smart man! 
Too bad he was a pedophile. 
The Impeccable Pedophile, aka, The Asshole. 

So you know- Father's Day does have the potential to be a triggering event for me but honestly, it's not so much. I think that's because I found the best daddy for my own children that I could have ever imagined. I posted this picture on Facebook.


It's one of my favorite pictures of Glen. It was taken in Cozumel on New Year's Eve a few years ago. And as I said on FB, "When I met this man in 1983, you can understand if my first thought wasn't...hmmm...he'd make a great daddy."
Which is true. 
But of course he turned out to be a spectacular daddy, a loving daddy, a daddy who provided in all ways for our kids. The ones we had together and the ones he got as bonus gifts when we were married. And as I also said on Facebook, he is legendary as a grandfather. 

I have no idea how I got so damn smart when it came to saying "yes" to a life with him but there was something in my heart that knew if I had one shot at happiness this was it. 
Perhaps it was because he was so far from "my type" of man that it was like he was a different species and maybe I'd finally grown up enough to realize that "my type" wasn't really the type I needed. 
Or even really wanted
And besides, I was already in love with him by then. 
Thirty-eight years later I realize that I didn't even really know the vaguest possibility of how much I would come to love him over the years nor did I even begin to know what a truly good man he was. 
What a truly good man he is. 

So. That's my Father's Day story for today. 

I distinctly remember back when I was probably about fourteen or so, as miserable and life-sick as a girl could be and I had a dream, a real dream, and in it there was a boy. He was just there but he radiated such love and goodness that he calmed my heart and my soul and I never forgot the comfort and peace I had felt in that dream. 

I guess I married the man of my dream. 

I am a woman of great fortune. 

Love...Ms. Moon






26 comments:

  1. You and Mr. Moon were made for each other. Makes my heart sing. What a husband, daddy, and truly grand granddad!

    Chris from Boise

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  2. what a beautiful photo, and tribute to your love.......and the greatest most loving Father. Brought me to tears. Thank you for sharing your day and your family
    Susan M

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    1. He's the best thing that ever happened to this woman.

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  3. Yours truly is a love story! Such a blessing!

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  4. A good man. Perfect for his grandsons to emulate. Granddaughters, too.

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    1. No one would argue that. No one who knows him, anyway.

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  5. I'm very glad you turned all your early experiences around and are living happily ever after!

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    1. Well, it hasn't always been a fairy-tale each and every day but overall, it's been pretty amazing.

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  6. That is definitely a lovely photo. I would say he is my type of man too !

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  7. What a nice post! Yesterday, sitting in a dirty dump truck on the way to work in a garden, sipping on a cold drink on a hot humid day, Steve Windwood came on the radio singing "If you see a chance, take it." You did. So did I. Life is good.

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  8. I'm floored by your dream. And the fact that it came true. Wow.

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    1. Well, you know, I'm not saying that boy in my dream WAS a Glen. He was a comforting presence, though. And Glen reminds me of him in that loving way.

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  9. our daughter with Mike and Robin came over and then our son called and I made dinner so that was Father's Day around here. I dreamed about my husband too though I was married to the Rat Bastard at the time. it was a warning dream and I took it to heart and divorced the Rat Bastard.

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    1. Good for you, Ellen! Dreams can tell us what we are truly thinking, what we are holding in our hearts and minds, can't they?

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  10. You are indeed a lucky woman to have found Mr. Moon (handsome devil isn't he)! I was lucky enough to have a great dad but screwed up when it came to picking one for my kids. I guess you can't have it all can you, but my husband certainly soured me as far as giving marriage another go around that's for sure!

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    1. Marriage can be grand. I know this to be true. It can also be pretty horrible. I know about that as well.

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  11. That's great -- your childhood dream and its relationship to your married life now. You did indeed hit the jackpot. Glad you all got together for a proper Father's Day celebration, whether lunch or brunch. :)

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    1. Yep. I did hit the jackpot. You've met the man.
      I suppose we had brunch/lunch. Which isn't bad at all.

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  12. OMG, Mary I had the same dream about my husband, when I was thirteen, I saw his face so clearly, it really was him, but what I remember most was the feeling of comfort and peace I felt in his presence. And I would remiss if I did not observe that your dream man is very handsome indeed. That is a wonderful photograph of him. It captures his nobility, his strength and goodness, his lovingness and grace.

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.