Things I had to do. The day was packed with them. And there were a few I couldn't
wait to do. A friend, Betty, was bringing her daughter, Lidia, and her four-and-a-half
year old son, Marcello, over to play with Jacob, our almost seven-year-old great-grandson.
When they arrived we took them outside to enjoy a perfect Central Coast afternoon
bright with sun, tempered by a gentle breeze. I was already visualizing them playing
with the big blue ball I'd also brought outdoors. We clustered around the patio table.
Betty remarked, "Marcello has been eager to find tadpoles, but I don't
know where to go for that."
I looked at Gene. He looked at me. We smiled. "You won't have to go far," I said.
"Our wine barrel waterfall is full of them." Marcello's face lit up like the fourth of
July. So did Betty's and Lidia's. "It's like an answer to a prayer," she said. "It's
synchronicity," I added. Lidia agreed.
"Take a look over there," Gene gestured toward the waterfall almost hidden by
ivy and May flowers. Jacob led the way and delighted chatter filled the air. Before
you could say shazam, Gene found jars for tadpole retreats for the boys, much to
their joy. He made holes in lids, guiding them to transfer just the right amount of
algae into each jar and the boys went about dipping enough tadpoles into them so
they would be able to take them home and observe their transformation into tree
toads and frogs. All the time this was going on Gene was snapping photos of them.
Afterward, the boys moved from pollywogs and tadpoles to a dinosaur game on
our I-pad. The big blue ball sat abandoned.
That evening, as we were recalling the boys' fun and looking at the photos Gene
had taken, I said, "You are such a good father, grandfather, and great-grandfather."
It was then I knew what I wanted to do for my June column and Father's Day.
Two of my favorite quotes about fatherhood bear an "unknown" attribution credit.
I can't help but think that it is because they are the kind of men to whom being a
father was, or is, more important than who gets the credit. Like Gene. The first
quote is: "Any man can be a father. It takes someone special to be a dad." The
second one is "There are three stages of a man's life: He believes in Santa Claus,
he doesn't believe in Santa Claus, he is Santa Claus."
Happy Father's Day to all of you fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers.
We appreciate you. And for the kids and kids-at-heart I leave you a silly poem.
Amphibian Friends
We were slogging
through the bog
when we came
upon some frogs.
Teeny, tiny keen ones,
lots and lots of green ones,
and little slimy lean ones
swimming by the millions,
hopping by the billons,
bumping and jumping,
thumping and trumping
all on a summer's day.
We sought them.
We caught them.
Dash! Dash! Dash!
Put them in a bucket.
Splash! Splash! Splash!
Oh what soggy play! |
 |
Jacob (Photo by Lidia Finocchiaro)
|
Jacob and Marcello
|
Jacob and Marcello
|
