On the Sundays that I work, I attend the 9 AM Mass alone before heading to work, while my family attends the 11 AM service. Recently, Ofu indicated that he would be going with me, and occasionally Oche would join us. This morning I went to the 9 AM Mass alone. I didn’t wake Ofu up to go with me because I suspected that he would drag us late because he was still awake at midnight last night. So I…
I recall that when I become a father, my aunt looked at me and said, “young dude,” as she fondly calls me, “no one can teach you how to be a father. It is something that you will learn as you go.” It was a pregnant statement that continues to be relevant as the events of my fatherhood unfold. Generally, who and what I am now is shaped by my upbringing, past experiences, and personal development. There are so many…
It is that time of the year again! It is the season of love. It is the season of giving. It is the season of light. It is the season of celebrations. It is the season of greetings. It is the season of sharing. It is the season that celebrates unusual joy and happiness. It is the season of decorations. It is the season that celebrates the most unique birthday. It is the longest celebration of a birthday. The accolades…
Whenever we say our prayers at bedtime, and the children retire to their rooms, it does take a little while for them to shut down and sleep. However, Ofu who is not a morning person takes even a longer time. (Click here for the post “Dad, I’m Just Not A Morning Person…”) Usually, he’ll come back downstairs to report a quarrel between him and one of his siblings; to say he’s thirsty or hungry. Sometimes, we tell him he is…
As young children, whenever we were woken up to prepare for school, my siblings and I would say we wanted to say good morning to our father first. As we stormed his bedroom and greeted him, he would open his arms wide to hug us, then we’d pile on him, with some of us on either side of his arms, all covered with his comforter. This usually gave us, maybe an extra five minutes of snoozing and the coziness was…
(Laughing) Yeah, you may be wondering where that came from or what it could be all about. I’ll tell you. We grew up (by we, I mean my contemporaries) with the understanding that the optimal way to structure our day is the 8-hour workday, typically beginning in the morning (like 7 am – 3 pm, 8 am – 4 pm and 9 am – 5 pm). That was the typical work schedule for our parents, and I believe school schedules…
It’s Sunday and I went to 9 am Mass with my sons, Oche and Ofu. Oche sat between me and Ofu, and as we sang a mixture of an English and a Spanish song, I was impressed by Oche’s participation. The crack in his puberty voice was prominent and he was singing more like a grown-up. His Spanish class was paying off indeed as his Spanish accent pronounced in the Spanish sections of the song. At the end of the…
This is a pillar post! Awakened by the approach of a person. I thought it was Sweetheart returning from a restroom break. Then I felt the light tap on my legs. It was Agbenu. “Dad,” she said, “my stomach hurts.” I sat up and helped her to bed, propped her up between me and Sweetheart. I looked at the time, it was slightly past 3 am. I said some comfort words and began to sleep. After a while, she tapped…
This post is two-fold and I wrote it over two days. I completed the first part on the first day, and I thought it was over. However, the next day a follow up on the first day’s discussion gave it a new flavor. Yesterday morning we were getting Agbenu and Ofu ready for school. Sweetheart was working on Agbenu’s hair and I was assisting Ofu. While I knelt to apply an additional moisturizer of coconut oil over his leg, Agbenu…
Recently, someone asked me if my daughter’s got me wrapped around her little finger. In pretense, I smiled and replied: “I don’t know what you mean.” In response, they clarified with “does your daughter get everything she wants?” I smiled again and said, “Nope! But she sure knows how to ask for what she wants.” And that’s my emphasis! This how she usually goes about her requests: “Dad, I know we don’t have to, but please can we or can Iā¦?”…