Love Thursday
Thursday, August 31st, 2006Karen at Chookooloonks is doing something fabulous, as usual. Today is her Love Thursday and I want to share this with you:
This is (yes) another picture from my sister’s wedding. Late in the reception, Brett’s patience and stamina blow out and he retreats. Because he MUST retreat now or break down. I’m similar in this way. When I’m overwhelmed, I just want a place of my own to get away.
We realized somewhere in the haze of rum that Brett wasn’t dancing. Mike saw his little head under one of the tables. Brett had found a place of his own. His under-table fort was his sanctuary, a place to calm down, get sleepy, and get fed a thousand secreted Hershey kisses from mama’s disembodied hand.
After a while, and after a crying bout when Daniel wouldn’t respect his created sanctuary, Brett crawled out and into Mike’s arms.
If you don’t know, Mike is not the boys’ biological father. They see their father, but for a thousand reasons, he’s a part-time slightly disinterested, self-involved parent at best. I married Mike when Daniel was 3 and Brett was only 27 months old. He has been their parent in all its glory, good and bad alike. He immediately changed diapers, held them, loved them, played with them, and told them no when needed. He has gone on school field trips, he’s picked up a sick kid from the school nurse, he’s taken a boy and his broken arm to the emergency room. Mike is their dad, hands down. On school forms, when the boys have to list their parents, they list Mike and me. When it specifically calls for “Father’s Name,” they list Mike.
This picture is of a very tired Brett, surrounded by Mike’s arm. Once again.
To my children, Mike has been there for them. He is their dad. To them, he is love.

















