The Buddha’s Birth Day

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We celebrated the Buddha’s Birth today at Throssel and it has been Family Week-end too with lots of activities for all ages. There was a photography competition and one lad, Simon, took the picture I had in mind to take on the theme of The Universe Is As the Boundless Sky. When I get hold of his picture I’ll publish it here. This picture by Max, one of the dads, caught my eye. I can’t put words to it but somehow this image speaks. Thanks dad Max.

Well, I’d like to speak up for the fathers on duty this week-end. What a great bunch! Uh! nappy needs changing. Uh! Sarah is throwing stones. Frisbee Golf? Sure I’m up for it. Fatherhood has changed and that gladdens the heart. But why exactly? Perhaps it is because I can sense and see the gladness in the hearts of the men who tend there small babies, infants, children, grandchildren. There is a pride. A natural pride in being a dad.

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12 thoughts on “The Buddha’s Birth Day”

  1. … wouldn’t even be a family without Ian! Especially with things being so tricky atm. But – so glad we have the opportunity to be a family together.

  2. regretted that he spent long hours working and not with his family. I have been very lucky in that I have so far been able to avoid that happening with my own children.

  3. It IS nice to see how fatherly involvement has changed over the years. When my children were small, such activity by us menfolk was deeply frowned upon.

    Some things really DO change for the better.

    May I take this chance to wish you “bon voyage” for your trip across the pond.

    __/\__
    Norman

  4. Thanks Norman, yes things change, fatherhood changes, motherhood changes, childhood changes. And as somebody pointed out families can flourish with one parent. My memory of childhood has me wondering where exactly my dad was! He was away working, returning at week-ends. It worked.

  5. yes, as I said elsewhere my memory was that my dad wasn’t around much. And families can flourish with one parent. Thanks for leaving comments Chris.

  6. As you well know I am an Ian fan. I’m glad you are a family together too. Hang in there.

  7. I am thinking that you are the Ian I think you are. You’re fortunate to be in the circumstances you find yourself in, and those around you are fortunate too.

  8. … is hard work sometimes! My two year-old was sick in his bed in the middle of the night last night and it took us quite a while to clear everything up. He is a little trooper though and was much less unhappy than I would have been, faced with similar circumstances!

    One also has to work hard at not tormenting oneself with worry about whether one is a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ father… I am hoping that just being around a lot will prove to be enough in the end.

    All the best

    J

  9. I can only imagine, the sick, the poo the tears and no doubt the tantrums. And of course there is the good/bad dad syndrome lurking in the background. There is a lot of pressure in society around parenthood. And parenting can be so very PUBLIC at times. A ‘bad’ moment in public can render parental guilt and shame deep into the operating system. I’ve never been a parent. I can only imagine.

    I think intention counts for a great deal. Your intention to be around a lot is good and as you say prove to be enough in the end. And for those who can’t be around so much or are simply absent from the family – children are incredibly robust They are more robust than we credit them with perhaps, but that can and does get stretched far FAR to far sometimes with devastating life-long consequences. Having the occasional ‘bad’ moment within the family gives them a well rounded picture of how human life actually is. Messy at times. My parents never disagreed or ‘rowed’, at least not in my presence. Ever! What a shock to find that happened between adults when I went out into the world at around 15 years old.

    Oh well that’s me for this morning. Glad that you dropped by Jonny – I am presuming that I know who you are.

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