Fatherhood

The long hours are catching up ... "stir crazy," loss of focus, ... of memory. Having just survived THREE DAYS as a father by myself ... yes, I know, some kind of record or something, right? For some reason, the Christmas-tale, "Twas The Night Before Christmas" has been ringing through my mind. Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. What I would have given for that extra bit of sleep. I definitely appreciate everything Jen does for me and I certainly hope that I extend the same amount of effort to her. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hoped that St. Nicholas soon would be there. On top of caring for Patrick, I had a death at work to deal with ... a close, personal friend is now watching out for my son and his son (on the way). In the back of my mind has been a constant fear ... a clarion bell that I only managed to keep silent through herculean effort. This monologu...

Today, I have been reminded of the fragility of life ... and how precious it truly is. We lost a friend (and co-worker) at work ... doing the job he truly loved. It was a tragic accident that has stunned us ... "numb" is the word I heard, which is very fitting. I know that he is not truly gone ... but, he has definitely left a hole in our lives that cannot be replaced. And, he will be missed. He was a good friend; one of those rare individuals that you become friends with instantly ... I felt as if I knew him for years and will definitely miss him. He was a unique individual ... always had a smile on his face, found a moment or two for each individual going by, he truly loved his job and all the people around him. I am not sure where all of this is heading ... how we will all cope at work; day to day, I expect. I do know that will certainly cherish each moment with my family and friends, and take some of what I saw in my friend and hopefully share some of that spiri...