Apple

We have all heard the analogies used around the apple.  On bad apple spoils the bunch, an apple a day and numerous others.  Well my favorite for many years has been one my granny used to say about wild children and their parents; “The apple didn’t fall far from the tree”  I have heard it a million times.  Mostly about a few of my wild cousins during our formative years and we were experimenting with shall we say life.  I was blessed to always be smart enough to never be the first to yell “Hey y’all watch this” another great saying from the south!  In case you didn’t know nothing good ever happens once this has been shouted!!

Well I digress.   As you might have read my family is a tad split for the time being.  The wife is in Florida with the kids, read cats, and I am holding down the home front trying to get the house on the market to sell.  Well this leaves me to my own devises and that could be scary.  Well in steps my adopted sister watching me as if I was one of her own “Chickens”, read kids there as well.  I think I have eaten every meal with them since the wife departed.  And they are wonderful times.  How special is it I have two places to call home?  There and Florida. 

Well last night I had the extreme pleasure of having dinner with the youngest child of my adopted family and sister.  And here is where the saying comes into play.  I called and asked her if she had dinner plans.  Her husband, a pilot, is gone some and her, a student in an accelerated nursing program she doesn’t see the light of day often between studying and the brief moments she sees her husband.  Who deserves a complete post of his own a more special young man I haven’t met.  She said no, I said come eat with me.  She seemed excited and we went to dinner.  At a funky kind of place in a midtown area of our city, where all the artsy, earth shoed, laid back people live.

Now this is a special young lady whom I have seen grow up from the age of about 12 I am guessing.  She, like her mother, is a stunning beautiful woman.  However, she is special as she doesn’t have a bit of air about her.  And, like her mother, more beautiful on the inside, caring, thoughtful, concerned, attentive when in conversation, and allowing in every part of her life that I see anyway.  Well as we sat there last night I was totally blown away as we talked.  It had to be like talking to her mother 25 years ago.  Has a plan, knows where she is going and can’t wait for the next chapter.  She graduates in December and will either return to school or work a bit depends on how she feels I am guessing.  As we sat outside on an unusually pretty night here for this time of year I was struck with the saying “The Apple didn’t fall from the tree” and what a precious apple this one is.  I think we all have moments when we wished our children turn out like someone else’s.  You know the kids that seem to be perfect.  Well this child is one of those.  Now I will add a sidebar that I know this child is not perfect.  However, she is close I have been around during times she had troubles like when she wrecked her new car the day she got it!!!  But I still believe it couldn’t have been her fault!!  Yes, I love this child. 

I had a blast and for a brief moment got to be with this wonderful young woman with no one else around.  As I think back I can’t remember ever being granted that pleasure.  I have always loved her but last night was special because I had her full attention.  It was like when I am with her Mother and it’s just us, rare.  It’s like when I am with my wife and it’s just us rarer still.  There is something about one or one conversations with the people you love that are more special than when you are in a group even if the group is family.  I will always treasure last night.  More than likely she just saw it as a dinner with one of her Mom’s friends.  I saw it as dinner with a daughter I could only dream of having.  I promise, like her parents, I would be one proud father!!

This wouldn’t be a complete parent child  post without the mention of my son.  Did that apple fall far from the tree?  A question that is so debatable that it would take years to answer.  Do I love him, of course?  Is he like me?  Not in my mind or the mind of anyone who knows me.  However, I find it so unreal that he claims publicly and loudly to be exactly like I am.  Now anyone who knows him laughs out loud whenever he says it and he seems to almost get mad.  I have no clue what to do about that.  I want to make sure and say I am proud of him.  We disagree on every issue we ever talk about.  We have nothing in common; however, god love him for standing up for what he sees as just and right.  Something sometimes I was never strong enough to do.  So did that apple fall far from the tree, I say he isn’t in my orchard, but he is mine whether thrown over the fence or simply dropped by the gods as a test to me he is mine.

So as I look at the contrast of these 2 very special young people mine the opposite of the one I wish he could be; her, the absolute picture of what we all would want as a daughter.  I wish both of these special young people the best life they can make.  And I only hope my sister knows how special her apple is that fell so close to the trunk it is scary I am so proud for her and the daughter.

Well I think I will go find that picture of my granny and my dad and thank them for everything they did for me during my years.  I can only hope that someone one day will compare me to either of my parents, could there be a high complement given to a person.  I think not.

Peace,

The Blessed Man