Payday! | Previous Challenge Entry

how it works

TITLE: Payday! | Previous Challenge Entry
By pam bryan
06/13/05
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I still smile and close my eyes when I remember the click of his heels as he came down the long, shiny, granite hallway. I’d recognize the sound of that gait anywhere. My heart did a little dance. It was October 1982 and our first child had just been born. I tried to sit up and look presentable, waiting for him to walk through the door. After being a “couple” for four and a half years, we were now a “family”! My husband regularly spoiled me by coming to the hospital at least three times a day. This time he brought a gift. It was a whole pint of my favorite ice cream… Chocolate Mouse Royale! A treat by any standard, this one was hand delivered by a proud father who chose to temporarily ingore our tight budget and lavishly love the mother of his new baby boy. It worked!

Two more births would eventually complete our family. There were balloons and special announcements for the second and lots of pink celebrating for the third. The hard heel clicks I came to expect through the three hospital births always brought comfort, heartening my day, communicating love. That was and is his specialty. Actively loving our sons and daughter and their mother is one of the things he has always done best.

He was there before the births cooing and singing into my belly button. He wanted our babies to know the sound of his voice. I’d giggle and blush as he kept talking and telling them how much they were loved and how much fun we’d have when they were born. He kept his promise. He always does. It’s one of the ways he loves.

He was there for the growing up years, always making time for the most important events. Basketball, baseball, ballet, church musicals and simple family evenings at the nearby school playground took priority in his day-timer. His fun, teasing way made him a magnet for our three when he walked through the door at dinner time . Even our children’s friends liked being around. I remember once we had five young boys over for a birthday party. Being new at the party-planning thing I overestimated how long the planned events would last. All my games, food time and present opening finished a whole thirty minutes earlier than I had calculated. What to do!? Dear young Dad took them out to the front yard and let them jump on him and wrestle for those 30 minutes. Party saved! Some boys thought it was the best time they’d ever had. Making fun out of the ordinary is another way he loves.

Now the childhood days are over. Our three are grown. We’re in the young adult “launching phase”. For the last twenty –two years he’s proven himself to be exemplar in his role as a dad with an abiding commitment to his family. Growing up under the umbrella of his active love, his passion for promise keeping, his fervor for fun has been our children’s privilege. Now the privilege is his. It’s payday! Who has the best ear when there’s a girlfriend question? Where do they want to be when the day’s dull? What cell number do they dial when the car sounds funny or when they want to go out for coffee or ice cream and just talk? Yep, it’s “Daddo”. When those gale force winds of life blow, and the phone call goes out, there’s no better sound in all the world than Dad’s voice. …Unless maybe it’s the hard click of his heels in the memory places of my mind.

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