Diary of Fatherhood

For the past four years, Agbenu wrote Santa Claus every Christmas. Ofu has written twice. John (Oche) wrote twice (one was real, the second was a play-along). “Santa Claus” always replied to their letters. John stopped believing in Santa Claus at the age of ten, when, at midnight on Christmas day, he snuck up on “Santa” and “Mrs. Claus” putting their gifts under the Christmas tree. Kindly, he kept it to himself until the next Christmas, then told Sweetheart and…

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Sweetheart received a text message from our neighbor informing us that a branch of a tree in our backyard fell on our fence. We rushed into our backyard to assess the situation. I saw that we could use our saw to cut off the excesses and relieve the pressure from our fence and the street. There was a minor damage to our fence, which I could fix with my DIY tools. I called and notified my work that I’ll be…

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To enjoy what men enjoy, boys should first learn to do the work that men do. For them to enjoy the rights and privileges of manhood, they should first learn to take ownership of the responsibilities of men. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. Genesis 2:24. The scripture says, “A MAN” not a boy shall leave his parents. How many men left their parents…

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Towards the end of 2019, I attended a reading fair for middle-schoolers with Oche, my first son, and Eneh, my niece. At the end of the fair, I challenged us to read at least one book every month in 2020. Then I suggested a plan that can help us to achieve our reading goals. Here is the plan: divide the total number of pages of a selected book by the number of days in the particular month, and that will…

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I wrote a post on my Facebook titled: “The Spread Of The Mad Man’s Fire: COVID-19 Shows We Are More Connected Than Separated.” It is available at this link  An excerpt from the post reads: “We are all compelled to utilize the downtime to bond with our families… For those of us, who are now homeschooling our children through the online resources of school districts, we are better appreciating the works and patience of school teachers…”  That is a true…

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I just renewed antiviral protection for our computers. Ofu: “Dad, what are you doing?” Me: “I’m getting protection for our computers from viruses.” Ofu: “Is it like coronavirus?” 😀😀😀 Me: “Yes, but this type of virus only attacks computers.” Ofu: “Ok, dad.” Me: “Were you scared?”😊 Ofu: “Kind of.” (With a gesture) Me: “Not to worry. We are safe and our computers are safe. Ok?” Ofu: “Ok, dad.” I’m talking about heightened awareness and reassurance! Let’s stay safe and healthy…

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“Those who have deep spiritual aspirations should not feel that the family detracts from their growth in the life of the Spirit, but rather see it as a path which the Lord is using to lead them to the heights of mystical union.” – Pope Francis (Amoris Laetitia, #316, p. 247). Amoris Laetitia means “The Joy of Love” is a document written by Pope Francis addressing the pastoral care of the family. This reflection holds true for me and more…

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Sweetheart and Ofu are at his scout meeting. I’m baking chicken. Agbenu is playing Amazon Song Quiz. Oche is studying for his math benchmark test scheduled for tomorrow. Oche comes down from his room to the kitchen and goes into the pantry. He asks Agbenu: “Mama, do you want noodles for dinner? I’m about to make some for myself.” Agbenu: “No, thanks. I had an early dinner. I can make it for you so you can keep studying for your…

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Ofu returns from school, Agbenu and I pick him from the bus stop. Agbenu had a doctor’s appointment earlier so she only went to school for half-day. She was excited to experience picking up her younger brother from the bus stop. We welcomed him after he got off the bus and as we walked back home, I asked him: “Were you worried that you didn’t see mama on the bus with you?” Ofu: “No, Ms. Salinas told me that you…

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I was going to drop off Agbenu and Ofu in school and we were listening to Winans Phase 2. As soon as “It’s Alright (Send Me)” began to play, I rocked my head and sang along. Agbenu: “You like this song, daddy.” Me: “Yes, I do. Do you see the title?” Agbenu: “Mmhmm… It’s Alright (Send Me).” Me: “Yep! They’re are saying if God needs someone to go and do His will, He can send them.” Agbenu: “Oh… Just like…

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