As we sat at The Bench, sans Irene, having lunch, my
daughter and her friends moved about the restaurant as normal teenagers do. Saying hello to fellow classmates and
giggling as teens do at that age. My
daughter Emily shoves into my hands a clipboard full of small print with her
signature on it. I asked her, "Are
you sure? You know Mom is going to kill me!" She gave me her typical look of disapproval
that only a teenage girl would give to her parents (the kind of look that I
know what I am doing and I will prove it Look), and she answered,
"Yes!"
A sense of pride overcame me as I looked at my beautiful
daughter transform from a little girl into the awesome young lady that I know
she already is. I asked her why do you
want to do this to make sure she was not doing it from peer pressure. Her reply did not shock me because I know how
Giving she can be. She said, "I do
not want any kids to have cancer anymore" as her eyes welled up with tears
as she thought about her friend Juliana's Cousin passing not too long ago of
cancer.
No family should suffer the lose of a child. As she sat down and removed her headphones
and glasses, I videoed her noggin being shaved and remembering that she had
more hair when she was born, 15 years ago.
I watched and thought about my episode about 6 weeks ago, where it was
possible that my little girl would be shedding tears for me rather and doing
something that only a handful of woman would ever do and enjoying it.
Even though it does state in my will, there will be no crying
at my funeral, and she must play Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" and
Erasure's version of "Take a Chance on Me." Well all is stable for now and I get to see
my kids do more Awesomely Awesome stuff that would make any Parent proud. Never take Today for granted because Tomorrow
might not be here.
Of course, I sat down right after she was done, to make sure
she was not the lone baldy in the household.
The barber offered his couch to me knowing that Irene would kick me to
the street for allowing her Daughter be bald.
As the warmth of the buzzer grazed my hair leaving my mane on the floor,
I smiled and asked my boys if they wanted to do it also. They looked at me and shook their heads no
way! My guess they are not ready. We will wait until next year :)
I am a lucky guy to have an awesome family, especially a Daughter to keep me in check! Emily and I can now add another thing that we have in common, wearing hats when it is cold outside. Thank God that she looks more like Irene than me, because I am sure no guy wants to go out with someone that looks like me, let alone a bald looking female version of me. Again, I am still amazed that I am still married for 16 years!
First words that came out of Irene's mouth when she got home
from work, "Seriously, I would have done it with you.
You look beautiful!"
I am so proud of Emily in her support to Find a Cure for
Childhood Cancer. Please visit St.
Baldrick's Foundation and help find a cure for childhood cancer at http://www.stbaldricks.org/
This time, Like Daughter-Like Father! Also I expect your showers to be at least 20 minutes shorter!
