earth run: father and son

earth run: father and son

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Character Development

Dear Nikkei,

Character Development -these words that are built-in into your vocabulary I hear you use in every other sentence that comes out of your mouth. Psych education kicking in, I guess. 

-in K-Dramas: it’s what you watch out for in characters played by the actors;

-in your family: you monitor our progress like lab rats -me, especially. 


Probably oblivious to you, I’ve also been monitoring you and keeping mental tab of your character development. Don’t worry, I’ll leave out your daily frustrations and rants as you might be cited for contempt. 


You started like this:




Your were sweet, bubbly, delightful, lovable. 


Then metamorphosed into this:



You grew into being sweeter, bubblier, more delightful, more lovable. 


Then blossomed into this:



Your matured even more- even sweeter, even bubblier, even more delightful, even more lovable. 


What more can I say? You are my daughter. There’s no way on earth there will come a time when these eyes of mine will not see the beauty that permanently resides in you. Never mind if you roll your eyes pretending not to laugh at my jokes or make fun of how I pronounce words with 'rl' and 'sh' like girlfriend  and mushroom, or criticize my work-outs.


You are beautiful. In the day and in the night. In harmony and in conflict. Within and without. Lazada or Amazon. You are beautiful. Let no one deceive you and make you doubt. You can say that I am territorial about my bloodline but the absolute is hard to challenge.


Happy birthday, Nina Kristin! I want to say more but I’ve maxed out all the legal praiseworthy words allowed by the law for a birthday greeting. Know that there's not a single day in the past and will never be in the future that I won't mention your name to God in thanksgiving. We love you dearly.


Cheers! 


난 너를 정말 사랑해,

슈퍼 아빠


Next post: "Why Should I Write About This Man?"

Previous post: "Inspirations. Happy Anniversary XXVI Edition"

Thursday, August 6, 2020

Inspirations: Happy Anniversary XXVI Edition


Rissa dear,


We do not have a theme song as a couple, or do we? I might have forgotten -just one of the things 26 years of blissful marriage can do to you. But to me, it doesn’t make any sense having one because our life is a song. When inside an elevator with piped-in music, sipping our coffee or in a hotel lobby listening to the piano man or driving with the radio on, we hear our songs played. You and I, we have that x2 factor that songwriters need to broaden their sphere of imagination and inspiration to write words we hear in songs such as:


Don Mclean

And I love you so

The people ask me how

How I've lived till now

I tell them "I don't know"


And you love me too

Your thoughts are just for me

You set my spirit free

I'm happy that you do


James Taylor

I close my eyes at night

Wondering where would I be without you in my life

Everything I did was just a bore

Everywhere I went it seems I'd been there before

But you brighten up for me all of my days

With a love so sweet in so many ways

How sweet it is to be loved by you, it's just like sugar sometimes


Jason Mraz

And through timeless words in priceless pictures

We'll fly like birds not of this earth

And tides they turn and hearts disfigure

But that's no concern when we're wounded together

And we tore our dresses and stained our shirts

But it's nice today, oh the wait was so worth it


Kenny Loggins

For the first time I am looking in your eyes

For the first time I'm seein' who you are

I can't believe how much I see

When you're lookin' back at me

Now I understand what love is, love is

For the first time


Toni Wine and Carole Bayer Sager

When I'm feeling blue, all I have to do

Is take a look at you, then I'm not so blue

When you're close to me, I can feel your heart beat

I can hear you breathing near my ear

Wouldn't you agree, baby you and me got a groovy kind of love


Steven Curtis Chapman

I will be true to the promise I have made

To you and to the One who gave you to me

I I will be here

And just as sure as seasons are made for change

Our lifetime's are made for years

So, I I will be here we'll be together

I will be here


Ed Sheeran (he really read my mind when he wrote "Perfect")

Baby, I'm dancing in the dark, with you between my arms

Barefoot on the grass, we're listenin' to our favorite song

I have faith in what I see

Now I know I have met an angel in person

And she looks perfect

No, I don't deserve this

You look perfect tonight


What will these guys write without us? Sad, sad songs. 


If we got a dime for every inspiration that these guys took from us, we’d be rich because everyday is just full of it -unli source of inspiration. But listening to their songs in my playlist is good enough royalty for me.



Happy anniversary, dear!

Here’s to more years of inspirations, more additions to my playlist. Yep, those are beer bottles!

We thank God for this 26th edition of this family. There's more to come.

I love you. You know the drill. 


Previous post: "Life's a Choice. Multiple Choice."