Laurell is deep in edits, and it’s both Summer Solstice and Father’s Day, so I decided to share something from our family with the website.
I have been a Father, officially, since the fall of 2001, and an acting father for about a year before that. I came into the situation the instant I started dating Laurell seriously, and I became a fixture in Laurell and Trin’s lives. I still remember helping take Trin out to Halloween at her kindergarten, and we had all dressed as characters from Peter Pan. Laurell was Wendy, Trin was Tinkerbelle, and I was Peter. I wore tights and a tunic to a school function in a pretty rural and conservative area. I was a little worried by the looks from the other parents who weren’t dressed up with their kids, but I loved my daughter, and I was going to make her Halloween a fun experience.
That was one of the first things I did as her step-father, and as time has gone by, I have had the honor and pleasure to show up for her. Her Father is still an important part of her life, and she has a good relationship with him. That was one of the things I worked very hard on, as he is a good man and a good person; he just wasn’t a good match for Laurell. I have a cordial relationship with him, and I look forward to someday walking her down the aisle beside him. It took very little from me to be respectful and supportive of his parenting of her, as he was with Laurell and my parenting. We worked very hard to ensure that any conflicts between the adults didn’t overly affect Trin and her life.
I actually followed a family tradition by becoming a stepfather. My mom remarried, and having Art as my dad was a blessing I cherish and will cherish for the rest of my life. I miss him, as he passed away two years ago, and I try to model myself on him. It isn’t easy, but I find the results more than make up for the effort.
On this longest day of the year, as the shortest night falls, I am truly happy to have Trin in my life. In fact, she just got home from work and handed me my present. She got me a Mr. Potato Head beholder, which is absolutely perfect for our relationship.
Hopefully your day was as good as mine.
-Jonathon
