best thing a man can do for his children

Subject: RE: best thing a man can do for his children
From: katlaughing
Date: 10 Sep 99 - 06:54 AM

Ah, Escamillo, I am sure she loves that answer! You are right, humour is very important. One time Rog was so very funny & romantic. IT was Valentine's Day. We were out to dinner and I was mad because he hadn't done or said anything that day to make it special. (I was acting the spoiled brat!) Anyway, he told me he would be right back, left the restaurant, went across to the convenience store, bought a package of little kids Valentine's cards, wrote "I love you" and his name on the back of one, came sweeping into the restaurant, got down on one knee, there at our table, and said something very romantic sounding in French (I haven't a clue what!) and gave me a big kiss! I was astounded, pleased, laughing and so were the rest of the patrons.

You are a dear & I know Graciela is a lucky woman, as are you to have her.

luvyaKat

Subject: RE: best thing a man can do for his children
From: GeorgeH
Date: 10 Sep 99 - 01:23 PM

Roger . . yes, you are quite right; what I was talking about is an ideal, and I'm sorry that my defence of that ideal (which I know full well I fall short of, despite being blessed with a 30 year marriage that I still cherish). For what it's worth, my childhood recollections of my parents relationship are entirely of a relationship which was being continued "for the sake of the children", and of wishing they would stop that continuance!! They were only reconcilled (to an extent) after my mother was diagnosed as being terminally ill - by which time I was no longer at home and they were living apart, too. I HOPE I learnt something from that history, just as I hope I'm never so arrogant as to assume there's not a good slice of luck and fortunate circumstances in our marriage continuing as well as it has.

And to pick up a point made elsewhere - yes, we've generally considered it more honest to let the kids be aware of the range of human emotions - including between the two of us - than to try to hide things from them. Which is rather simplisticly expressed, 'cause of course it's another difficult balance to strike.

G.