One of my major shortcomings in life is not being able to
see things that are directly in front of me. Example? Ok, how about how every
time I open our refrigerator, I suffer from a total inability to see whatever
it is I'm looking for. Where's that water? Oh, it's in the massive pitcher slightly
obscured by that small jar of parmesan cheese. Where do I find the apples
again? Why no, I haven't checked in the fruit drawer; that would make way too
much sense.
 |
| Where was it again? |
Now, of course, I am embellishing the truth slightly (fancy
terms for lying) for dramatic effect. I mean, I do normally try to move things
around a bit before begging Bethany to help me. The refrigerator isn't the only
place where I struggle to see what's directly in front of me. That's pretty
much a consistent part of my life. Probably something to do with me not paying
attention well enough or not focusing on what's going on around me. Of course,
it's not just myself or my wife that are forced to deal with this aspect of my
personality. Ellie is quickly learning that she gets to deal with it as well.
One of these moments I speak of reared its head today. Ellie
was busy entertaining herself in our living room by playing with her blocks,
bear, balls, books, and anything else not nailed down that starts with the
letter 'b'. While this was going on, I was stretched out on our couch working
on a project on my laptop. And by project,
I mean making a fantasy football logo in Publisher. Clearly not the best
use of my time.
Anyway, as I laid there in my own little world, Ellie
decided that she preferred I be a part of her world instead. Standing up on her
little legs, Ellie toddled across the room to see me. I turned and acknowledged
her with a smile before turning my attention back to the screen as I was nearly
finished. Ellie briefly wandered away from me before reappearing again. This
time she grabbed hold of my right hand, forcibly pulling it off the computer. Once
she released it, I moved my hand back to the PC only for her to respond in the
same fashion.
This time was slightly different as instead of letting go,
she would maneuver her busy book directly into my open hand. If you're
unenlightened, a busy book is a fabric book made up of different activity pages
to keep Ellie occupied. There's Velcro shapes, shoelaces, a belt, snaps, and
various other things to touch. This time I actually took the bait, set my
laptop aside, and placed Ellie onto my lap for some nice bonding time.
 |
| Look at that belly in its Red Friday best. |
Together we sat there and worked through the book,
page-by-page. Ellie wasn't quite done with moving my hand exactly where she
wanted it though. On the final page of her book, there are patches of denim,
felt, and fur for her to touch. Ever the sharing soul, Ellie decided she wanted
me to experience touching the patches as well. In order to make sure I did so,
she grabbed my hand and rubbed it over each patch just as I had done to her
once upon a time.
It's certainly a lot of fun to see Ellie wanting me to be
such a part of her life. While she does have an independent streak at times, it
warms my heart to know she loves me enough to want to share with me. I guess I
just need to make sure I'm paying enough attention to her so I'm not missing
those opportunities. Especially for something as dumb as making a fantasy logo.
Priorities, priorities. #DaddyWrite.
No comments:
Post a Comment