Work is Dignity

Dearest Phoebe,

Daddy read this book that was sooooo compelling that I had not stopped reading since lunch.
The author, Michael Gates Gill, wrote about his work and life experiences as a Starbucks barista.

In his book, he shared many personal and intimate anecdotes about him meeting literary greats like Robert Frost and T S Eliot. Those experiences were akin to a groupie meeting his favourite singer or rock band.

He paraphrased F. Scott Fitzgerald and wrote "Work is dignity.". For Michael Gates Gill, in all his pedigree upbringing and social circles, he simply wished he had the chance to spend more time with his father than rubbing shoulders with these literary greats.

Hence, I would like to complement to his paraphrase by saying "Parenthood is an honour". In the worst of it, parenthood would reduce a grown man and woman to tears, but it is always a badge of honour I proudly wear.

Phoebe dearest, the honour is always mine.

Be good and smile pretty,
Daddy Dearest

Stuck in a Moment

Dearest Phoebe,

Chronologically speaking, Daddy should be writing about the two plays you had watched over the past two weekends; however, I had something in mind that's more pressing which I need to
bring to your attention.

Your tantrums recently seemed to have hit a raw nerve with us, especially with Mummy. Most parents would call this the terrible two phase that most toddlers exhibit. Some of the things you said bordered on hurtful to your loved ones. On some occasions, Mummy had to administer corporal punishment and I seconded her actions as you were really driving us up the wall. You were throwing a fit over seemingly mundane things and you actually hit Mummy!

I noticed that you tended to be upset over little things, making a mountain out of a molehill. Let me speak given the years of life experience I have inadvertently built up. Please do not sweat the small things in life because life is just too short and precious. It is just not worth it. As you read this entry, I hope you ruminate over Daddy's words as I got this certainty that you are probably gonna need this mantra in your later years.

PS: Daddy's listening to the latest album (released circa 2009) by one of the greatest rock bands to grace our times, U2. One of their older songs came to mind. Read the excerpted lyrics carefully as they basically sum up what your old man's trying to drive across.

"You've got to get yourself together
You've got stuck in a moment
And now you can't get out of it
Don't say that later will be better
Now you're stuck in a moment
And you can't get out of it"

U2 - Stuck in a Moment

Be good, don't get stuck in a rut and smile pretty.
Daddy Dearest

Scribe

Dearest Phoebe,
on certain evenings, when inspiration hit, you would sit on your red study table to paint your masterpieces. The most recent piece came with commentary as you painted.

You said that the red blotch at the top of the picture were clouds. The one in the middle was the morning sun and the last horizontal patch was the ground. This is your masterpiece in its full digital glory, the original copy would be probably long lost by the time you read this entry.

Besides painting, you would sometimes practise your penmanship on our trusty writing board.
In the picture, you had just finished writing the letters 'N', 'O' and 'T' in that order. A painter, a writer or whichever hat you chose to put on, you are forever Mummy and Daddy's bundle of pride and joy!

Be good and smile pretty,
Daddy Dearest

Clear blue sky

Dearest Phoebe,

This entry was pretty much inspired by Auntie Constance who wrote in her blog about catching the rainbow. What she said was so true; a lot of times, Daddy and mummy were so engrossed in making both ends meet that we probably forgot to take a step back and enjoy the nature.

Being the little one, you showed signs of loving the nature. Last Saturday, we managed to catch a stroll at the newly-opened Sengkang Riverside Park. The sight of you running and putting your feet on the footprints to match yours simply warmth our hearts. You queried at the junk that was thrown into the river and wondered what they were. Occasionally, you would remark about the "clear blue sky" and the giant clouds that you saw. Almost every morning, you volunteered to pull up the roller blinds and exclaimed 'Hey, it's morning!'

Incidentally, over the weekend, Daddy shared the idea of bringing you for those weekend get-away when you are older; where there would be no computers, no console games, probably just a few novels which we will lie on the sunny beach and read. And not forgetting a good chat just to check on how we are doing at work, school and play.

I look forward to that day.

Love, mummy.

Faith

Dearest Phoebe,

when you were a toddler, our weekends were really packed with fun and lots of activities.

You were attending enrichment classes on Saturdays and Sundays; however, we could tell that you were having a lot of fun doing so; hence our initial fears of you not being able to cope were unfounded.

Actually, I guess it was as tiring for you as well as Mummy who accompanied you to both classes. Somehow, Mummy managed to dig deep into her reserves to get through your classes as well as carrying you in her arms while you were napping.

Back in those days, you would often take naps in Mummy's arms while we are out and about.
Hence, I guess as young as you were, you have a lot of faith in us. For starters, you had faith in Mummy's arms to carry you while you rested! On a larger picture, you have faith in us as your parents.

Living life can be akin to existing in a body of water. Most people tread water for fear of drowning, the stronger ones actually swim while the faithful few just lean back and float. Who are those faithful few?

I believe that they are people who have a strong sense of faith, in their ways of life and beliefs. They have stopped struggling and put their faiths in the water. Phoebe, never let your faith in our family falter even in times of trials and tribulations. There may be times when it is testing but with renewed faith, you will float lighter and perhaps even swim!

Be good and smile pretty,
Daddy Dearest

脚本

Dearest Phoebe,

besides writing for your blog, I get immense pleasure from reading the blogs of your friends like Ashley, Zavier and Nicole & her brothers.

They contain heart warming entries that chronicle your friends' development. Intimate aspects of their family lives brought alive online. As a fellow parent and blogger, it gives me great joy to feel that unspoken sense of camaraderie shared by parents alike.

We all want the best for our little ones. As a little pre-Valentine's dedication to my dearest Serene, you, my precious little one, and all the parents and their little ones, may our children's vulnerabilities open our hearts so that they can find our unrelenting love and we can find compassion.
Happy Valentines!

Be good, be loved and smile pretty,
Daddy Dearest

Pitter-Patter of Little Feet

Dearest Phoebe,

the first time I came across this phrase was when I was a thirteen year old. I vividly remembered my Literature teacher reading it aloud during class. It never really occurred what it meant but it got of stuck in my subconscious memory for eons and for reasons far beyond my comprehension.

Nowadays, as you grow more steadfast on your feet, Mummy and I tend to hear a lot of your 'pitter-patter' of your feet as you make your way about our humble adobe. At times, these sounds would betray your presence as you went about your play activities but sometimes, they would sound angry as you ran about throwing your almost unbearable tantrums. In the near future, this 'pitter-patter' would fade into memory again as you grow older.

It would probably be replaced by sounds of your ringing cell phone, instant messaging alerts from your computing device or even the shrilly ring of our telephone as your friends attempt to contact you. Its absence is a reminder of how you have grown.

I would probably just hear its familiar echoes in my heart only.

PS: We had lunch last weekend with Auntie Sereen, Uncle Chee Leong and baby Jonas. It was an enjoyable meal at Fishermen's Wharf. You really enjoyed the company of Jonas and even offered your candy to him. Be good and smile pretty, Daddy Dearest