Cuddly Daddy

 

I was biking solo in a lonely but familiar trial. I was about to pass a very steep curvy ramp where you are almost out of control unless you use your brakes. Right around the corner where the ramp is starts, I see a man waiting (late 30’s early 40 may be) on his bike. It was obvious he was waiting for his biking partner/ team mate/who ever he came with. May be the other person slowed down…Anyways, I usually fly through that ramp, but now that I saw this man waiting, I know someone is coming up not far behind. So, I consciously slowed down a bit. Half way through the ramp, I see a bike off the ramp and a little girl down. She would be hardly 10 yrs old. She wasn’t hurt much but was clearly on shock. I slowed down and stopped to check on her. She seemed to not make any efforts getting up but when she saw me approaching her, she hurried to stand herself up and started walking towards the direction of her dad…the man waiting around the corner unaware of his daughter’s accident.  

 I stopped…asked the girl if she was okay…if she wants me to go back and let her dad know that she was here…she was quick to nod yes to show that she was okay and pretty quick to sign no to the offer of informing her dad. She started walking rather in an erratic way towards her father. It was pretty clear that she was scared and uncomfortable with my presence.  But without any further awkwardness, his dad cam looking for her. The little girl who had held up all her fear, her tears and her embarrassment till that point broke down and hurried to bury her face somewhere between her father’s chest and tummy!

 I’m a very cuddly dad… I hug, kiss, cuddle, roll with my kids a lot. But after that scene at the bike trail…I felt like that’s not enough. I went straight home to hug my kids. I’m making it evident and crystal clear to my kids that I’m there for them. Kids they need their dads to be their bone and strength. Moms somehow physically, emotionally are always attached. Dads derail at some point. As the kids grow, the dad assumes more responsibility, household and financial accountability and slowly distance themselves from their kids.  Apart from few gifted exceptional cases most of us (80’s/90’s kids) probably had dads who we looked up with more of respect than love (I assume so…at least that’s how I was). The generations prior to us groomed men to be head of the family, providers and caretakers. They were introverts when it came to showering hugs, kisses, sharing shoulders but good at heart. We are in a generation where kids mature emotionally fast, but deep inside they always need their Dads to be there…physically, emotionally. Not in rhetoric form but really there. So, Dads…if you are shy to mingle and jingle with your kids, if you think love is in your heart and you don’t really need to show it…please change before its too late.  Be there!

Where is my purse?

Men...They can never be perfect or independent even with the most easy things on earth! They need their moms or sisters to help them find out where their bike keys are, misplaced wallets...once married they rely on their wife to help them find their car keys, purse, etc., But after the few months of marriage the lose this luxury of someone (the other half) finding stuff for them. Definitely this blog is not about how and why the man loses the support of wife helping him search his stuff. Man who does has always been dependent on women for the search operation suddenly feels crippled without the help. Many times during the course of the search, he loses his temper, his mood swings to he bad end and what not. But he cannot afford to show it out. After all he is the one lost it in the first place!
I'm one among the millions of men who find themselves crippled. But then today i sat to write down to mark in history that the paralysis does not long forever. It is curable! When mom stops, sister help; When sisters are gone, wife is here; and when wife says no...there is our cute little daughter who steps in. Today I was getting ready to go out and i was scrambling around searching for my wallet. I was venting out that frustration but in a cool way..."Papa, where did you keep my purse? Did you see it?" And there she was leading me to the bedroom , opened the draw and retrieved the wallet and proudly said " Acha (daddy) Purse" and then for next few seconds she did self appreciation of helping daddy find his purse by saying" Acha Purse" n times. End of the scene, there was this LADY who found stuff for me.

LHS = RHS
Hence Proved!
Men always need Women to find their stuff.

Thank God

He was tall, dark, shabby, may be around 45 yrs or more. He carried a small plastic bag with couple of empty beverage cans. He has been hunting for empty cans in every trash bin in that street. He needs to collect at least 25 of them to get a dollar upon recycle! Its a chilly night and he has just got 2 cans in his bag so far. He is searching frantically in this bin and gets to see a plastic McD coke glass with its lid on and the straw. He is not happy as the recycle machines do not take these glasses! He is about to throw the glass when he realizes that the glass is half full. Someone threw it half empty sometime back. This brings sigh of relief on his face. Cold drink for dinner and no more can search tonight! He leaves down his can bag and runs to a corner with his dinner.

Thank God says the other HE who is sitting and watching all this from his car. The car is warm. He is comfortably dressed, smells clean, dreaming about past n future...waiting at the traffic light for a green signal.