Sunday, June 19, 2005

Dapper Dan on Daddy Day

Father’s Day: what an interesting time of year.  We’re verging on the solstice; mornings come early and night comes late; the air is full of warmth and potential and even though I’m working harder than ever, I’m enjoying it too.  Coincidentally, my mom just sent me a small cache of photos that her brother had acquired from their parents - photos of myself in exceptional sartorial splendor with some exceptional friends (coincidences to be explained below).  Here, let’s take a peek at a few:

This is me in late 1969, I suppose, ready to hit the house of worship for channukah services.  The silver menorah behind me is german, from the 19th century, and though I can’t say we were “friends,” it was and remains one of my favorite things in the world.  The same goes for the globe behind me, which features Pangea and Swaziland but was lots of fun to spin into a blur.  The nehru jacket, on the other hand, was not so much a big favorite of mine at the time, but in retrospect I sort of carried it off.  I guess I was a pretty hip little kid.  Sometimes.

Sometimes I was less hip.  Here I am with two dear friends - one who needs no introduction, and Mr. Harry Kim.  Harry was, effectively, “adopted” by my maternal grandparents after uncle Dick met him, curiously enough, in Korea, during a military assignment there.  Harry wanted to move to the states and become an engineer, and my grandfather helped that happen and set him up in a good job in our ancestral hometown of Lima, Ohio; Harry stayed there his whole career, eventually retiring as plant manager of a huge oil refinery.  He has been and remains a close friend to the family for fifty years, and was a devoted support to my grandparents till they both passed.  Harry and his family are our family.  On a different note, I do not recall owning this striped jumper-stetson ensemble, but I will take this photo as a caution never to wear anything like it again.  Oh, the humanity.

Finally, this is a photo of my dear dad and me working the n-gauge model train he built for me in the garage.  This was a damn fine train set, eventually running past three stations with several switches and sidings.  It must have been pretty new at this time because all we seem to have had set up was the primary figure-8 track, and our polka-dot trainsmen’s hats seem brand spanking new.  I had a great time with that train, and it was really good “dad time,” too.  So thanks, mom, for sending these photos along, and thanks, dad, for putting in the time and making my childhood so delightful (despite anything to the contrary I might have said at the time), and for being there for me and my family from then till now with steadfast love and heartfelt committment.

These sentiments of paternal appreciation are foremost in my mind this season because this is the first Father’s Day on which I consider myself an honoree - though still by a bit of a remove: we are waiting to travel to Korea to take our new son home.  Kelly and I have been working for some time on adopting a baby and we got word a few weeks ago that we’ve been approved and that our son has been assigned to us.  He’s three months old and doing very well with a foster family outside of Seoul; we should be able to go get him sometime around October.  Our lives now are a rondelay of preparation and anticipation as we read and watch and imagine how we’ll handle the coming new world we will inhabit as a family.  This is, for me, a father’s day to remember - looking back at good fatherly memories, and looking forward to making some new ones of my own.  Wish us luck.  This time next year I’ll be needing a lot of it.

HOORAY !!!! the news is out.  i’m so happy for you both, and excited for you, and oh, just generally bursting with gladsomeness !  :)

congratulations, new father dan.  hooray !

Congrats Dan :-)

The photo of you in 69 btw is scarey, only because we are twins seperated at birth *joke*
No really I have a photo of me same year and I honestly had to do a double take, I could easily say it was me.

Congratulations, Dan! I feel quite confident that you will pour your heart and soul into being the best father you can...just like you do with everything else in your life. Best wishes to both you and Kel. Parenthood is a wonderful thing :)

♥

ps. i know it’s a little heart but it’s packing a whole lot of good happy thoughts and well wishes for you and kel and the baby.
.

How wonderful.  October seems so far away - I would have my fingers chewed to bloody pulps by then.

wow.
you never told me your dad was hot.
maybe it’s the polka-dots, but can i have his number?

Oh Dan! congratulations on the wonderful news. I bet Deelee will have so much fun with her cousin when he comes home! I’m so happy for you and Kel… I have tears in my eyes as I’m typing this.

The one of you and Harry…

PRICE-LESS.

And once-upon-a-time great bribery material.

Oh...and may I just also say (because I’m a shit and should have said it in the first comment, but was laughing too hysterically to remember) that you will be an amazing father! :) congratulations to you both.

And if you need any practice I’ll loan you 3 year-old Isabel for a couple weeks. :)

Congratulations to you both.  The wisdom you have to pass on to any child is awe inspiring, and if Kel has half as much (and I suspect it likely she has as much or more) your new son is lucky indeed.  I know you will make wonderful parents!

JAW ON FLOOR. 

...

...

Oh, Dan.  Congratulations.  Really.  People like you should have kids.  We need more Dan’s in this world.  Best of luck to you and Kel.  I’m super happy now.  That’s just great news.

For what it’s worth, babycenter.com got us through some worrysome times.  It’s worth signing up for their newsletter if you’re a first timer like we are.

y’all are blowing my mind, people.  thanks so very much.  sharing this news with you boosts this process to a whole new level of “reality,” and your words of encouragement and support will carry me through a lot of late-night crying jags, be they the baby’s or my own.  The boy will do well to come up in this world where so many good people are cheering for him. 

But Jules, my stepmom connie will have much to say about your interest in my dad.  She’s classy, but she’s tough as nails.  (dad, however, is a pushover and you’d have him eating out of your hand in no time I’m sure.  I’ll let you know when he’s in town next.)

Thank you, everybody!  I’m all verklempt!

Holy cow!  I’m so happy for you and Kelly.  What a cool thing!  You’ll make a great dad.  Just don’t call him little Kim, because that would be WRONG.  Harry would be okay though.

Man, this is so cool.  BAH!  I’M BURSTING over here.

I hope someday he’ll get the chance to read the great things you’ve written here so that he’ll know his daddy better.  But for his sake and yours, please, for the love of God, burn the photo of you in that jumpsuit.  It’s unholy.

dang, I’m late to the party…

*raises her coffee mug*

Here’s to the seasons of earth and life - to long warm days and sweet memories - to family, to loving fathers and their sons. Here’s to Dan and Kel! Congratulations!

*glug glug*

ps: love the pictures (no, I won’t ridicule your stetson) can’t wait to see next year’s!

Well I’m late to the dang party too!  But baby you know how excited I am for you and Kel and that new baby boy who will soon be in your home.  With all my heart I say to you both....MAZEL TOV.

Blessings.

Wow!  That is so exciting, and I’m so happy for you both.

Yep!  Yer got to me too.......  I’m typing this through moist eyes........  Firstly, I am always touched by my friends’ fond recollections of their father/child relationships as I grew up without a father myself and have always felt a lingering void and deep yearning.  So I do enjoy living vicariously through other’s fond memories of theirs.  Secondly, let me convey yet again how excited and happy I am for you & Kel of finally having “October” in sight.  Yeah!!  Whoo-Hoo!!

So very happy for you both.

Get all the sleep you both can starting now - you’ll need the rest for later.

Woo Hoo - Happy Dancing here in Metro DC for you both, excuse me for you 3!!

Awesome, good luck Dan (your right, you will need it too). Being a parent is one of the coolest things there is. Watching my kids grow, learn and discover has been a delight(challenging, but a delight)

Cool pics by the way. I keep thinking I should put up some of mine then remember that people I see in real life everyday would see them too. I would never live that down.

Congratulations to you and Kelly; I’m sure next Father’s Day will be even more wonderful.

Can I be a blogging god uncle?  I’m already an uncle, and I blog, and I’m God, so I figure it’s a pretty short leap.  Congratulations!

dan:  this is sooooo great.  i am so excited for you guys and your son.  i want to echo what brad and cw said.  people like you should have kids.  you guys will be the absolute best parents.  no doubt at all about that.  i, too, am verklempt.  this is HUGE.  words are not coming.  clouded by emotion.  my last baby moved out of the house two weeks ago.  going to be so much fun watching you guys!

One thing is certain, the child will have many entertaining stories from his papa. Congratulations to you both!

Do you remember what you were doing in 1969 when Neil Armstrong made his famous walk? I do. I was at my cousin’s with my Mom and Dad where we went ever weekend. I was drinking a Pepsi, cause that was a special treat for me at my cousins and watching the old black and white return those magical images.

And that hat...hahahahaha!