Something happened on the way to work

Yesterday I planned to write something about fathers or fatherhood. But something happened on the way to work.

Last night’s weather forecast predicted a long snowy morning commute. So, I had set the alarm back an hour to 4:00 AM.

The alarm goes off, playing radio static. This is on purpose, so that I am not lulled back to sleep by talk or music. I silenced the static with a slap. Somehow my hand knows where the target it. I quietly grumble into consciousness. Do I really have to get up this early? Yes, to avoid the snow. Any other reason? No.

No?

Hey, getting to work an hour early means I don’t have to make up time. I have to leave work early, so I can attend my son’s class program at school tonight. The alarm goes off again. I turn it off for good and get up.

4:46 AM. I am ready to go a with a few minutes to spare. The snow has already started. I can just hear it fall through the trees. I get in the car. John MacArthur starts talking. Why is he on? Oh, yeah. I’m starting out an hour earlier. He is toward the end of the of the broadcast about praying at all times [Ephesians 6.18-24].

Wait a second… What was J. Vernon McGee talking about yesterday morning? Oh, yeah. Prayer [Philippians 4.6-7].

The roads are already slick, but at this hour traffic is light. The LED sign at the church I pass daily catches my attention. This morning it says, “A.S.A.P. Always Say A Prayer.”

McGee, MacArthur, and now a church sign.

When was the last time I talked to my Father? I have to admit much too long ago.

Yesterday I planned to write something about fathers or fatherhood. Maybe I just did.

I could say that I wrote this for my Zero to Hero blogging challenge assignment for day twenty-eight. But Someone suggested a different topic.

Fathers’ eyes

The last few days I unexpectedly found some really good blog posts written by other fathers about their experiences as fathers. I am pleased to present you with these three.

• The Abridged MBTTTR Story, posted on Must Be This Tall to Ride. I didn’t even know Matt was featured on WordPress’s own blog when I found his blog this morning. Matt has written some incredibly good posts. I recommend this one as a jumping off point to a lot of them.
   
  As every father knows, being a father is sometimes one of the hardest jobs you can ever have. I am married and I say that. As hard as it is sometimes, it can’t be anywhere near as hard for me as it is for Matt. The Matt whose wife left him Matt. Matt’s stories encourage me and inspire me. If Matt can do it, I can do it.

• On being a dad – the value of consistency, posted on Holding together the jello. Mark is another father going it alone. This post serves as a great personal reminder to remember to rein it in when I’m cranky, frustrated, or otherwise less than pleasant. It is easy for me to spot when other fathers have lost it. It is not always so easy for me spot when I am headed in the same direction. Thanks for the reminder, Mark!

• “As Long as it’s Healthy.” Why I Hate This Saying. Posted on Finding Fatherhood. Normally I wait until a blog racked up some nebulously larger number than two posts over few months before recommending others take a look. But expectant father Jon brought me back to when my son was mere weeks old in the womb.
   
  At the time my wife was classified AMA. Short for Advanced Maternal Age. We were told AMA also means an increased risk of Down’s syndrome. The doctor offered a test for that. My wife and I discussed it. We only needed a few minutes. We didn’t phrase it nearly as well as Jon did in his post when we declined the test, as the result would not change our minds on keeping our baby.

Are there any others you would recommend?

I wrote this for my Zero to Hero blogging challenge day twenty-three assignment.

Zero to hero: nine

Today seems to be perpetually behind day. Behind a day this morning, did day eight, then found myself still behind a day when the day ten assignment went live. But it is great to see we are already one third of the way through the Zero to Hero blogging challenge. Onward!

Today’s assignment: find, follow five

I haven’t paid too much attention to the contents of my WordPress Reader since the last time I was supposed to find new topics and blogs (or bloggers). This is a good reminder to take a look on a regular basis. As I found out later reading through the forum posts for the assignment, that is exactly the reason for this repeated exercise.

This time around, I am going to take a look at what turns up in some of the topics/tags I am following.

Topic: Cycling

• Pedaling Prose and High Yield Life. Both of these are written by AJ, who is “a proud husband and father, an avid cyclist and a prospective writer.” I found the latter blog through a link on the first, and I am glad I clicked that link. I am looking forward to AJ’s continued observations from his bike. Incidentally, AJ made it plainly obvious I was not yet following the next topic, which is…

Topic: Fatherhood

• Holding together the jello. Mark writes about the struggles and joys of being a single father. While blessed to not be a single father myself, my sister recently became a single mother for a reason much like Mark’s, so my imagining how hard life is as a single parent takes a little less imagination. I find inspiration in both their stories.
• Fatherhood, Food, Faith. This one is a new blog written by the father of a brand new baby. Besides fatherhood, a couple comments in his first post caught my eye: (1) that they attend a church, but consider their real faith community to be three families who meet at each others’ houses, and (2) that their faith looks different than their parents’. I don’t know if my faith on the outside looks all that different from that of my parents or in-laws, but inside my head mine feels nowhere near the same as theirs.
• Better Man / Better Family. Joseph Milestone writes about his ongoing work to improve himself, and by extension his family. I could use a little self-improvement myself.

I am one short of five. Egads! The clock says it is well past my bedtime. I have been reading blogs while half asleep for about least three hours now.

Hey, a quick proofreading shows I have five after all. It really is time to hit the lights already!

You have just read my day nine post for the Zero to Hero blogging challenge. Join me in using the challenge to liven up our own little corners of the web, blogosphere, or whatever the kids are calling it these days. You’ll be glad you did.

Children

I can still hear the words my parents used to say out of sheer frustration with my siblings and me. “When you have kids, I hope they turn out to be just like you.”

My children often do what they know they shouldn’t, and they often don’t do what they know they should. And they behave this way repeatedly, even though they know there will be consequences.

Children are called a gift from God. But I am convinced they are also a lesson from God. “You are just like your kids.”

Tie

Today I wore the tie my son chose.

He and I were shopping for clothes one day. Rather, I was shopping for clothes. He was tired and decided to lay down on the sales floor carpet in front of a display of dress shirts.

I found a couple shirts I liked and a tie to match one. Any day you find a nice dress shirt in your size and in a color you like for $4.99 is a good day. Even better when you discover a nice tie to match for a similar price.

My son was still lying on the floor. An occasional shopper would stroll through and raise and eyebrow upon finding him. I kept close watch, so I knew he was safe.

I found a third shirt and another tie. By now my son had regained some strength. He asked if I was done yet. Almost. I suggested he help me find another tie. The sooner I have a matching tie, the sooner we can find mom and sister. That’s all it took.

I found a couple ties, but neither seemed quite right.

The tie my son chose

He took a tie off one of the tables. “You should buy this one, because it looks cool.”

Hmm. Not really a pattern I would have chosen, but it was a perfect match for the shirt.

“Looks good to me. Let’s buy it.”

He gained a definite spring in his step.

Today I wore the tie my son chose. It matches the shirt perfectly. I showed him when I returned home from work.

He did not remember choosing the tie.