Last Friday night was one of those nights that will go down as one of those special nights. It was the last "official" night of winter; however, the temperature outside suggested that spring was a few hours early. A crescent moon, hanging low in the western sky, was joined by a chorus of a million stars.
To add a little bit of our own atmosphere, we lit a fire in the fire pit and for a couple of hours, the flames danced to their own orchestra as the four of us just enjoyed being a family.
Daniel, in his 8 year-old splendor, was a treasure trove of questions and comments:
"Daddy, why don't we get to go to other planets."
"Daddy, does Mars have an ozone layer."
"Daddy, can I have a new telescope so I can see if people are on Mars"
"Daddy....I love you"
Jacob, who can be as wild as a buck when he wants to be, decided that he was going to play the snuggle bug role as he spent time in both my and his mother's arms, eventually falling victim to the sand man.
Katie and I just took advantage of an uninterrupted opportunity to talk about things that are going on...nothing important, just a husband and wife spending time navigating through life.
As the boys grow up, I know that our Friday nights are going to be replaced by sports, social activities, and other things that tend to fill our calendars....almost like the movie named Friday Night Lights that highlighted how a small Texas town lived for the excitement of a football game to cap off their week.
Years from now, when I think about my Friday Night Lights, my mind is going to drift back to a backyard in Tennessee and four individuals trying their best to be a family.
March 19, 2010
March 15, 2010
Hey, Mr DJ...
Rewind to April 1, 1993, I'm a junior at the University of Alabama and it's spring break in Panama City Beach, FL. I'm there with a couple of friends from college and as was the ritual back then, a trip to PCB wouldn't be complete without a visit to Club La Vela, one of those dance clubs well known by all spring breakers. Keeping in mind that I'm the son of a Baptist minister, I was the first one suggesting, um...I mean resisting, that we make this ritualistic visit.
By chance, The University of Montevallo (you've undoubtedly heard their slogan - "Where the women are women, and the men are too!"), also happened to be on spring break that week. And, by chance, a young coed from there, named Katie, happened to be in PCB and at Club La Vela at the same time.
Somehow, thank God, our paths crossed that night. If you ask her, she'll say I stalked her until I somehow worked up the courage to ask her to dance and we've been dancing ever since. If you ask me, I'll tell you that she spotted me across a crowded room and said to herself, "I've gots to have me some of that!"
I like Katie's version of our story much better than mine. After 15 years of marriage, we're still dancing. Sometimes it feels more like break dancing than it does a slow dance; but any family with children, dual careers, and a mortgage will understand. The important thing is that the music is still playing and we're out on the floor....together.
For a couple of years now, the dance seems to have turned into a shuffle. We've always been a family that seems to know what to do and where to go, but have somehow fallen into a funk. The last two years have seen a new baby, job change, moving (twice), a new town, new church, our oldest starting school, leaving old friends and finding new friends...basically a life's worth of change in 24 months. The change has taken its toll on us, both physically and mentally...up to the point where we've both asked if it's even worth going any further. Thankfully, we've both answered that question in the affirmative.
I don't know what the future holds, but I know I want to keep on dancing.
Mr DJ, hit it....
By chance, The University of Montevallo (you've undoubtedly heard their slogan - "Where the women are women, and the men are too!"), also happened to be on spring break that week. And, by chance, a young coed from there, named Katie, happened to be in PCB and at Club La Vela at the same time.
Somehow, thank God, our paths crossed that night. If you ask her, she'll say I stalked her until I somehow worked up the courage to ask her to dance and we've been dancing ever since. If you ask me, I'll tell you that she spotted me across a crowded room and said to herself, "I've gots to have me some of that!"
I like Katie's version of our story much better than mine. After 15 years of marriage, we're still dancing. Sometimes it feels more like break dancing than it does a slow dance; but any family with children, dual careers, and a mortgage will understand. The important thing is that the music is still playing and we're out on the floor....together.
For a couple of years now, the dance seems to have turned into a shuffle. We've always been a family that seems to know what to do and where to go, but have somehow fallen into a funk. The last two years have seen a new baby, job change, moving (twice), a new town, new church, our oldest starting school, leaving old friends and finding new friends...basically a life's worth of change in 24 months. The change has taken its toll on us, both physically and mentally...up to the point where we've both asked if it's even worth going any further. Thankfully, we've both answered that question in the affirmative.
I don't know what the future holds, but I know I want to keep on dancing.
Mr DJ, hit it....
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