Happy Father's Day!

Sunday, June 19/22 @ 9:52 am

So I'd like to take this moment to wish all the dad's out there a very Happy Father's Day.

This goes to the single dads doing it all, those lucky enough to have someone to help them on the parenthood journey, those dads who are part of a two-dad family, and the moms who have to be the dad in a one-parent household.

Being a parent is probably the toughest thing we'll ever do and one they don't make you take a test to prove you are capable of taking on such awesome responsibilities. Heck it would have been nice if we got an instruction booklet or users manual lol

My journey to fatherhood got a late start but man has it been an incredible experience so far, one I wouldn't have missed for anything in this world or the next!

I was fortunate enough to meet an amazing woman who let me into her life as well as her five-year-old daughters, they showed me what it meant to love someone unconditionally, that I could be a daddy without having shared my DNA with such a wonderful little girl.

Anyone can be a father as all it takes is about 2-3 minutes and some sperm but being a dad is a whole nother ball game, one that will test your patience, have you up late into the night worrying when your child isn't feeling well, see you standing on the sidelines or stands cheering as your child plays soccer, hockey, skates, or plays any number of sports. You'll get to take field trips and see new things around your city and probably attend more than a few parent-teacher conferences.

Being a parent, I use that term instead of just saying dad as I think it is more encompassing, means getting to snuggle while reading a book, watch the same movie over and over and over (Speed comes to mind with my daughter lol), apply antiseptic and bandaids to wounds, and tucking them in at the end of the day.

Being a parent means not only listening to what they have to say but hearing what they are trying to say without even knowing they are doing so. It means being able to hear words you might not like without letting the anger or pain reflect in your eyes or words.

Being a parent means putting someone else besides yourself first, maybe for the first time in your life, and doing it every single day for the rest of your days.

Being a parent doesn't end when they turn eighteen and leave home for university, for military service, or just to spread their wings and become independent.

Being a parent is a lifetime commitment best made not lightly or without conviction.

It will be the absolute hardest thing you'll ever do and the one that will have your heart melt with four simple words.......

I love you daddy

Today I'll celebrate Father's Day at my daughter's place with brunch where her brother and his partner and son will join us, this is my son's first Father's Day in his own right and I can't wait to see him and my grandson interact with one another.

I am a father to two amazing adults and thank my stars every single day that they help shape me into the man I am and will continue to do so until my last breathe.

Happy Father's Day!

My name is Marcus and these are my thoughts and observations on the things going on all around me, they might include being a father, friend, co-worker, dealing with my puppy Miko, trying to get my golf game under control, and just maybe dating and getting to share my last first kiss if the stars align.

Today's musical suggestion is "To Believe" by The Cinematic Orchestra

I can be reached at ooasm2018@gmail.com for any reason :-)

Milestones

 Friday, June 17/22

Wednesday saw another family milestone accomplished and it got me to wonder how other people measure important milestones in life.

I think we probably all have some of the same milestones that we measure against and hope to see achieved over the course of our lives.

Some are pretty obvious like turning 16 and being able to drive, turning 18 and getting to vote, turning 19 and being able to legally drink in Ontario, turning 25, and then hitting the decade numbers as we try and age gracefully, or as much as we can lol

I hit the turning 60 milestones in a few months and it constantly amazes me that I am actually that old. I know it is a cliche to say one doesn't feel as old as one really is but that is really how I feel most days, well with the exception of day four of four straight days golfing as then I feel my age and then some :-)

Other milestones probably include the first day of school, graduating grade school, starting and graduating high school, and the same for university. Getting married and having kids probably ranks pretty high up there I'd imagine. Buying your first car or home is a pretty big deal for a lot of us.

So what big milestone did I see on Wednesday?

My son walked across the stage at Carleton University and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in a Covid delayed convocation ceremony.

He is the third member of our immediate family to earn a university degree, the second member on his mom's side of the family, and I believe the fourth on my side of the family. I say I believe on my side as I have no clue if any of my cousins' children went to university.

Now here is the shocker about the whole thing, I didn't even cry, which for those of you who know me says a lot. Now don't get me wrong and think I wasn't feeling emotionally charged by the event as I really was, but the truth is that I had my moment of tears as I sat there waiting before the ceremony got started, thinking back on all my son has overcome, the hours spent studying and working on papers and projects, the all-nighters he pulled, and sometimes the tears and frustration when he had some self-doubts, something we can all relate to I'm sure. But the one thing he did was persevere and meet his goals head-on.

I'm proud of my son for a lot of things and really do think I've been blessed with amazing children who have never done anything but make me smile. Now I'm getting the same vibes from the small tribe of grandchildren they are giving the family.

So what is the next milestone I see on the horizon? Well besides the aforementioned birthday for yours truly it will be my grandaughter starting school, followed by my son's own son doing the same, my oldest grandson graduating to middle/high school, and so on and so on for the three of them.

I guess somewhere in there will be me retiring but let's not rush that one just quite yet folks as I'm still enjoying my career.

So what milestones do you and your family celebrate?

My name is Marcus and these are but some of the things I ponder on a daily basis as I try and be the best version of myself that I can, some days I win and some days I don't, but I honestly believe it all balances out in the end.

Today's musical suggestion is "One Step Ahead" by Jack Johnson

Questions, comments, and complaints can all be sent to me at ooasm2018@gmail.com and I promise a response back :-)

What's On Your Fridge?

 Sunday, June 12/22

Yes, you read the blog entry title correctly, not what's in your fridge but rather what's on your fridge.

Now I'm sure you're sitting there asking yourself what triggered me to ask this specific question and it's really pretty simple as  I was sitting on my couch earlier and happened to look over at the fridge and was kind of surprised at the history the exterior of my fridge would tell anyone who takes but a moment to really look hard at it.

My place is sort of an open concept and it was one of the biggest selling points when I made my decision to make an offer. You can stand in the kitchen and with a glance to your left see the combined living room and dining room, conversely, I can sit on the couch and watch TV, read, listen to music, and look into the kitchen without much movement on my part.

As I mentioned, I was sitting on the couch and happened to glance over at the fridge and it dawned on me how much of my life was on display, my past, my present, and my future in plain sight for all to see. I can see reminders of positive events from my life as well as those that might be a little bit bittersweet depending on my mood at the time.

My past is represented by pictures of my kids as they were growing up, marking special moments in each of their lives, and pictures of my grandkids when each was under a year old. Moments that have come and gone but still make me smile when I look at them when opening or closing the fridge or just walking by on my way in or out of the kitchen. I've also got some artwork and school work done by my oldest grandson that acts as a past and present reminder as one is older than the other.

The funniest thing is that I've got a picture of my son when he is about 6 months and one of both my grandsons, his nephew, and his own son, and I'm constantly amazed at the traits all three share with one another.

My presence and future are both encompassed on the calendar I keep on the fridge that shows me what is on my agenda for the day as well as future plans. Thinks like golf tee times with friends, doctor or dental appointments, sporting events or other activities for my grandkids, appointments that I've agreed to take the grandkids to in order to help out my daughter or son, and future holidays I've booked off from work.

What about the months that are now in the past, what happens to those sheets from the calendar you might ask?  I keep those as they help me record recurring events when I create my new calendar in December.

So what else is on my fridge, what else makes me smile or maybe feel a bit sad when I see them?

I've got souvenir magnets from my kids from some of the places they visited when on vacations with their mom over the years. Two that make me smile include one from my son from a trip to Jamaica and the other is one from Venice brought back by my daughter.

Bittersweet would be the bottle opener I brought back from my vacation in Jamaica with Corinne as well as the magnets she gave me from her organization that is a daily reminder that there are those people who man the walls to ensure our freedom and safety. They are bittersweet in that they remind me of someone special who made a difference in my life when I probably needed it the most.

Some might say I should take those down to avoid being reminded of those memories since they won't be repeated but I disagree as that would sully the memory and feelings I have for her. Yes, I wrote in the present tense and not the past tense as I still have feelings for her. That doesn't mean anything would happen between us should we bump into one another but it also doesn't preclude anything happening either.

I'm one of those people who think what is on your fridge says more about you than what is in your fridge :)

So tell me, what's on your fridge and what story do you think it tells about you?

My name is Marcus and it has been hit or miss with the blog over the last year or so but I think I've turned the corner on things in my life and will be posting more entries moving forward. Hope you come back and see what other thoughts or observations I come up with over the next few weeks.

Tonight's musical suggestion is an instrumental piece by a German group named Meute called "Slow Loris". Give it a listen and let me know what you think.

Questions, comments, and complaints can all be emailed to me at ooasm2018@gmail.com