“Oh, Pappy! I love your dress!”
I was wearing my pale blue 10 year old bathrobe. I love this child, grand niece almost four years old.
I haven’t worn a dress in years. In fact, a year ago, one of her older sisters suggested that if I wanted to be more attractive (and not be single anymore) I might want to to try wearing one. Her older brother suggested that I should not wear black so much and get my red Volvo back that I sold five years ago when he was only four. “Men like red, ” this eight year old boy told me. (Original post. It’s worth it, I’m tellin’ ya)
So, I asked them at the time….”What exactly am I missing by not being married? What is this love thing all about?”
Silence from the back seat.
The boy man who likes red spoke, “Pappy! You are 63! You should be telling us what love is all about!”
Gulp. Silence.
A year later, he’s right.
So, here it is, sweet boy.
Love is a new set of eyes.
Eyes that see you in your bathrobe and think it is a beautiful dress.
Eyes that see ways you could improve your attractiveness but still love you when you don’t take their advice.
And, lastly, my lovely Canon lens eyes that allow me to see my exhausted dill plant as a dazzling jeweled crown.
Bless the children, bless the glass–the eloquently single irritables have no beef today.
©Pat Coakley 2009
PHOTOGRAPHS CANNOT BE USED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION
I bet you’d be hot in a dress . . . I’m just sayin’ . . .
Great post, my friend. It’s been too long . . .
You’d be wrong, ol’ boy. But, then, everyone’s definition of “hot” does vary! But, I do look really good in a gray silk pant suit!!
. . . since I’ve visited your blog. NOT that it’s been too long since you’ve written a great post. But you get that, right?
Hiatus’s suck . . .
Right, got it! Glad you are baack, Brian.
I’ve been gone for a bit too. Another amazing post. Booming picture and words that tie everything together beautifully.
Dave, what I like about this whole process is that sometimes when I post a photo, I have no idea what narrative shall circle back to it. Nice to see you back!
The out of focus droplets look like sequins on a dress. Quite a nice colour scheme for a dress I’d say, as well.
Things seen for the first time can look very striking and I think that’s why children notice things that adults miss. It’s all so new to kids and some adults have become a little too used to things that sometimes the every day beauty in their lives seem to slip by almost unoticed.
Razz, I am looking forward to YOUR trip to Europe soon! How will you post? Are you taking a laptop? I think you are gone for several months so don’t be tellin’ me you won’t be posting till you get back!
Your “exhausted dill plant” is looking quite fresh here, with all those raindrops. I think razzbuffnik has it nailed with his comment about seeing things the first time, as a child — and failing to see later on when we begin to take everything for granted. Looking through your Canon eye helps the view stay fresh and new — beauty and surprise through the eyes of a child.
Yes, Don, Mr. Buffnik often hits the nail on the head and then he puts a clamp on it! Sometimes, multiple clamps.
This is the most explosive dill plant I’ve ever seen. Like fireworks.
Chris Fireworks, sequined dress…I love what people see in this image!
“Razz, I am looking forward to YOUR trip to Europe soon! How will you post? Are you taking a laptop?”
We are taking a laptop and I’m hoping to post as I go.
We are currently sitting out in the backyard planning our trip. Just booked our hotel in Paris for the first two days before we pick up the car to drive all over for the next three months. We leave Sydney on the 21st of the month.
We’ll be going to lots of off the main road places, so hopefully you’ll find it interesting.
o, good! My passport has expired so I depend on others to do my traveling for me!