August 14, 2013

Somewhere Down There



Somewhere down there is a dad shoving a piece of toast in his mouth, kissing his family goodbye, and rushing out the door hoping to make the 7:29 train into the city and his job in finance.

Somewhere down there is mom knee deep in laundry with a newborn crying in the living room after being woken up by the neighbors barking dog.

Somewhere down there is a dad driving his rig across country on his eighth day on the road... kids at home wondering when daddy's coming home.

Somewhere down there is a mom at a sales conference wishing she was anywhere but in the windowless meeting room in yet another generic hotel.

Somewhere down there is a dad plowing a field, hoping for rain... But not too much like last year.

Somewhere down there is a mom pulling a stolen car over having one eye on her police issued revolver and the other on the noticeably drunk man in the drivers seat.

Somewhere down there is a dad driving a bus full of kids on his second of three jobs, needed to support his three kids and his wife who is expecting their fourth in the fall.

Somewhere down there is a mom interviewing the local Sheriff for the six o'clock news about a child predator who is stalking kids at local playground.

Somewhere down there is a dad who just lost his architect job wondering where the money for his mortgage and college tuition for his daughter is going to come from.

Somewhere down there is a mom cutting yet another persons hair, struggling to keep food on the table and a roof over her kids head.

Somewhere down there is a dad being deployed overseas for the next seven months, not sure if he will ever see his family again.

Somewhere down there is a mom working at a bowling alley spraying disinfectant into a pair of shoes not knowing how she will stay awake for her second job later that night.



EVERYWHERE down there are parents doing what they need to do to make sure their kids have the best life possible.

Somewhere up HERE I'm applauding each and every single one of you.

John Willey - Daddy's in Charge?

________________________________________

5 comments:

  1. post post modern dadAugust 14, 2013 at 5:49 PM

    I think these things a lot when I stare out into the vast expanse of ... whatever (from a plane, mountaintop, etc.). Sometimes it's nice to be able to pause and put yourself in these different situations, the ordinary, the mundane, how alike and yet so foreign they are to our daily lives.

    ReplyDelete
  2. So many people doing the exact same thing that you are doing... you just don't realize that you are not alone.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great post. I was the guy getting the haircut that day. It was the stylist's birthday, so I gave her a pretty generous tip.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think about my insignificance in the whole scheme of things, but then come back to realizing I have the ability to greatly impact things by what I teach the kids (through examples, by working hard, being kind, being strict, saying "no," teaching others, etc.)

    ReplyDelete
  5. good on you!

    ReplyDelete

ShareThis