In Connisonville, after we do our little dance in the morning, two people venture off to work.
Dad leaves and goes to work for the great State of Louisiana. Mom stays at home to work for our family (love her and can’t thank Jen enough for that).
As a background, I have a love/hate relationship with work. I could go on and on about how the system is broken when people go off to a job for 40+ hours a week, where they probably waste a ton of time doing mindless activity to fill up that time because there is no incentive to get your job done as you are still required to be there for the same 40+ hours!!! Don’t get me wrong, I like work. It can be a challenge, it can be exciting to see your work help people (I help build software systems, I don’t save lives), but I like it on my terms. To put it differently, I don’t mind working, I just don’t like jobs. Anyway, back to my story.
Owen has gone through various stages when it comes to work. First, it was learning the sign for work. He would use this when PawPaw stayed at our house and worked from our computer nook. Then it was “Bye Bye!” where he didn’t give it a second thought that I was headed out for the day. In fact, it seemed as though he looked at me with an expression that read: you’re still here? I know that it wasn’t what he was thinking, but it was like I couldn’t get out the door fast enough. We then moved to the game where he would tell my “Bye Bye” but then watch me from out front window with his face pressed on the glass while I got in my car, and drove away. It is pretty heartbreaking to leave this sight.
We have recently had some minor (and major) meltdowns when it is time for Daddy to leave for work. As if it isn’t tough enough to leave the family and go to work (where I don’t want to be, where I am continuously working toward a solution of independent wealth so I don’t have to go) and I have to hear, “Daddy, work, don’t want to, don’t want to” as he gives me a leg hug and a kiss goodbye.
This is the stuff that no parenting book will prepare you for…or at least I haven’t written it yet.
I love reading your blog. You are such a great dad! Leaving for work is the hardest thing ever when your child has to be pried off of you because they don't want you to leave. I hate to think that in the years to come, they will think that we don't get out of the door fast enough!
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