Brain Dump

Ok ok. I too have finally decided it was time to try the elephant in the proverbial room. You can see me dipping my toes in the water at @[email protected]

Having helped build a social media aggregator slash digital life manager in a prior time, it feels a little like "we have been here before."

Jonah and is need your help. If you can help please do. Please share with everyone.

https://gofund.me/ac5651d8

I was running errands with the kids on Saturday - that life administrivia stuff that sometimes lands all at once. I saw this for sale as I was heading to the cash registers to pay for diapers. It made me smile, think of and appreciate my dad, and flooded me with a fast forward time lapse of so much from points interacting with my Dad until now.

9 years ago, 15 December 2010, Dad passed away. I have since participated in Movember and this year kept my moustache passed it partly to remember my father. I remember that he “wore” two things - a Tom Selleck-level moustache and Aramis cologne.

I remember when Dad introduced me to cologne. I remember I was going to some dance thing - Cotillion maybe, or a middle school dance? I remember the bottle, it’s weight, the font, the smell. I remember him teaching me how to apply it. I remember it felt like Dad was “inducting” me towards adulthood. I felt I was progressing to something bigger even though I could not describe it. Still I struggle to define it. I remember feeling positive, momentus, proud, nervous, hopeful and happy. I remember smiling and having nervous, excited little chuckles.

Dad was (and still is) a big inspiration to me. I learned many things from him - be always curious/learning, how to work on cars, how to do light house repairs, to have patience (though I do struggle to this day to follow that one), what to do and what I would do differently.

Dad passing away also taught me a lot - things I want to change, to look after my physical health, how knowing family history is helpful, to look after my mental health, among many other lessons.

If you still have your Dad (or whomever was in that role for you) around and you feel safe to do so, let them know you see them., appreciate them and care for them.

I’m working from home today. I got all set up and did one work thing before we went to childcare. I was being watched and then Ribbly told me:

“You need lion. And drink you coffee.”

I responded “Thanks for sharing your lion, but Daddy is a lion.”

Riv: “You need this lion too.”

Me: “Thank you.”

Riv: “Welcome. Now you drink you coffee.”