Apropos of Padrehood

Well, this year Father's Day corresponds with the Feast of Pentecost. EK graciously decided to take a long nap at the end of the Liturgy today so that we could stay for the Kneeling Vespers.

Afterwards, JB let me decide what we'd do today since it was "my" day. I thought it would be nice to wander around Kensington and check out some of the antique and used bookstores. The weather was cool and breezy and we sat outside for lunch at "The Tea Room."



After lunch we popped into my favorite used bookstore in Kensington and found they were displaying works from a Castilian artist. There were pencil drawings, etchings, wood carvings, sculptures, and watercolors all dedicated to that knight errant, Don Quixote, who just so happens to be my literary hero. Not having several hundreds of dollars to spare I had to content myself with just imagining what the various pieces would look like in my house.

Fatherhood is "quixotic." My role as a new dad seems full of impossible tasks to conquer in order to fulfill an ideal in my head, much like Don Quixote. I would extend this metaphor to include my wife, but comparing her to Pancho would be unflattering and to Dulcinea flattering, but in the wrong way.  Eventually I serendipitously came upon what it was I was meant to find in the Russian literature section, a 1916 edition of Turgeniev's "Fathers and Sons." A nice memento for my first Father's Day.

And if all that weren't enough, the day ended in the most perfect manner possible. Jennifer and I went to bed with Elias between us. He was still moving around a bit and opening his eyes intermittently when Jennifer got up to go to the bathroom. He typically rolls towards her to cuddle and/or suckle. On this particular night he heaved up a sigh, rolled over towards me, threw his little arm around my neck and promptly fell asleep with his face not two inches from my own.

A Happy Father's Day to all Fathers out there and may God grant you many many years.

Mother & Child

This year was JB's first Mother's Day! I was on my way home Sunday morning from being on call and stopped at Safeway to get flowers. It was around 8:30am and the florist section was abuzz with activity.

I found the perfect bundle of multi-colored roses and headed for the checkout. The express lane had about 5-6 guys in it, all with flowers in hand. We all had sheepish grins on our faces, mildly embarrassed as only a bunch of men can be while holding flowers in the presence of other men.

The stop for flowers was not pre-planned. I'd had three black & white photos framed together as a kind of shrine to Motherhood along with a card. The flower idea had hit me at the last minute and seeing so many other men w/the same idea I knew I was on the right track.

She loved them and I'd managed not to bumble this very important day!
 

Awed by the beauty...

Awed by the beauty of thy virginity
 and the exceeding radiance of thy purity,
Gabriel stood amazed and cried to thee,
O Mother of God.
What worthy hymn of praise can I offer unto thee?
 By what name shall I call thee?
 I am lost and bewildered.
 Wherefore as commanded, I cry to thee
 Rejoice, O Full of Grace!

from the Theotokion at Matins

Nice Bark

Abba Xanthios said, "A dog is better than I am, for he has love and he does not judge."

The first time I heard this quote it cut me to the bone. I was newly Orthodox and had begun to familiarize myself with some of the writings of the Desert Fathers. Reading their words was like taking a spotlight down into the dank dark basement of my soul and finding all kinds of terrible rotting stuff there.

A self-righteous attitude covered the walls like mold. The stink of judging and condemning others hung heavy in the air. St. Seraphim of Sarov said, "We condemn others only because we shun knowing ourselves." And Mother Teresa, "If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

The picture is of my dog, Greta. In the persistent immediacy of her canine experience she loves without restraint. When I lose my temper with her she does not look to reciprocate, but only to try and make amends. Trying to change others is hard misguided work which oftentimes simply ends up embittering us. The freedom of love is the freedom to accept others fully while working to clean out one's own basement.

Spinach Pies & Whirled Peas

My Brother-in-law was in town this past weekend and made the most scrumptious Spinach Pies. He has a strong affinity for Arabic food and culture. With all the bad publicity regarding the Arab world these days I'd like to affirm them in this little bit of culinary genius. May good food warm our hearts and make the world a more peaceful place.

En 'shallah

***

the list

the list
Originally uploaded by Aaroneous Monk.

Received a call at the clinic from my wife with a 4 item "honey do" list. Seems simple enough, but each item was at a different location and I was supposed to get them on my way home from work, during rush hour, in DC.

The only way to NOT lose the list was to write it in my palm. The list reads:

[] Dry Cleaning
[] Camera Batt
[] Subs
[] Diapers

Of note is the fact I capitalized each word (anal-retentive nature manifesting even in hastily scrawled palm-note) and the top of my index finger is sewn on from a shattered glass incident a few days prior.

This is my life, full of exciting challenges and high adventure. :^)

Peace to All,
Aaroneous

blue window

blue window original
Originally uploaded by Aaroneous Monk.

Standing in the warm glow, peering into the cold blue,

of my soul...
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.
.
.
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Dedicated to Shok.