Sunday, June 18, 2006

"A man is not where he lives. . .

. . . but where he loves." Latin Proverb


I read this today about a Girl Scout troop in Ohio which consists of young girls whose fathers are all in prison. They go to visit them once a month and have a troop meeting. The fathers, due to good behavior and participation in the program, change into matching polo shirts and pants and then do all the things that any other parent would do at a meeting with their child: crafts, snacks, etc. By being a part of this program, they get to spend two hours a month with their daughters.

I don't know what to say. This both broke my heart and lifted it up at the same time.
  • I am sad for these 11 girls in Ohio whose dads are in prison. It is sobering to think of these girls, as young as five years old, going to a prison once a month.
  • I am hopeful that this time with their fathers will help both the girls and their fathers.
  • I am grateful that my children will not have to experience anything like this.

On a lighter note, here are some pics of Father's Day at our house:

Paul and his present
Paul shows off his homemade guitar clock.

The guitar clock
A close up of the guitar clock.

Marley shows off our handiwork
Marley shows off the clock. Silly face at no extra charge.

Here are five things Marley likes about her dad:
  • He’s nice.
  • He takes me to the beach.
  • He likes going to church.
  • He likes me.
  • He works.

Colin and the scooter
Colin hides behind the electric scooter which, for some inexplicable reason, he brought in through the front door. Here are five things I pried out of him that he likes about his dad:
  • He lets me ride these scooters.
  • He gets Marley out of my hair.
  • He likes to barbecue.
  • He doesn’t like going to church functions.
  • He doesn’t like to take pictures of me.

Here are five things I like about Paul:
  • He pretty much brings me a coffee from Starbucks any time I want it.
  • He truly doesn't seem to care if I am skinny or fat.
  • He is in charge of the dishes.
  • He loves babies.
  • He is still here 18 1/2 years later. . . and that is really saying something!
Happy Father's Day, Paul!

7 comments:

Chickenone said...

have you seen how many people have checked out your profile? Am I going to read about your blog in Newsweek?

Unknown said...

Wow. I hadn't checked it lately. I should celebrate when I hit the 1,000 mark.

Sheila said...

Aw, that's such a cute post. I may have to copy your idea . . . .
:)

Mom101 said...

It's always reassuring to know that Paul likes his daughter. Probably one of the reasons he won't end up bartering her Thin Mints for Marlboros in prison one day.

Hope you all had a great one.

Cattiva said...

You know, there is so much good about that troop that actually gets to visit their fathers. Let's hope it smacks those Dads in the head so that they undersatnd what a gift they have been given. Maybe some lives will turn around? And NO, I'm not just a sappy pollyana, at least (I hope) the girlscouts themselves will see what they do NOT wnt out of life.

Beck said...

That story made me feel very, very bittersweet - poor little girls. And how lucky your kids are to have a wonderful, law-abiding father who adores them!

Bea said...

I love the tension between Marley's list and Colin's: he likes going to church; he doesn't like going to church functions. Sounds like my kind of guy!

And the first two items on your list - both very important things.