The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

I got myself excused from work for a couple of hours today so I could go to my sons school to spend some time with him, watching "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever." If you've never seen the television special, it's about a church reenacting the birth of Jesus story, but that year, the tough kids from the other side of the tracks ended up in the roles of the Three Wise Men, Joseph and Mary. I remember seeing it as a kid, more out of obligation than anything else. My school showed it every year and it was a chance to get out of lessons, which, as a kid, was already something we were thankful for.

The movie ran for about an hour and the kids were restless because they were all third graders, they had snacks and everyone wanted to introduce their parents to their friends. Even on the most challenging of days, when my sons face lights up like that, I get the big goofy grin that won't go away. When I looked around and saw a couple of other fathers in attendance, I was both saddened and cheered up. Jovial because other fathers took the time out of their day to support something their children were doing. Sad because I only see a very few fathers when I do something like this.

That's probably why I am happy to take on the role of de facto dad at those times. I'm grateful that I can be a small part of showing kids growing up without a father that this is what that interaction is like. Will it make a difference? For those of us who follow the teachings of the Law of Attraction, I think so. Remember the basic law that says like attracts like. If those kids see a father and son behaving well, perhaps they can behave well, too. I wish there was also a father there to strengthen the attraction and perhaps that will happen, too. I'm sending my grateful vibes in that direction.

I've actually been spending lots of time doing things like this. As my children and stepchildren wind up the academic semester, I've spent time chaperoning a field trip with my 17 year old daughter and several days later attended a music performance she was playing in. I also got the chance to see my 11 year old stepdaughter singing in the choir and playing her viola at a recital. This is the sort of thing I didn't see in my future when I was younger. My projection of what I would be like in my 30's and 40's was more like picturing myself being the greatest sports columnist ever. The guy who also wrote the "Great American Novel."

What did I actually attract to myself? Well, I'm still a sports nut and will sit and watch championship 3-legged racing as easily as NFL football. And about the Great American Novel? Perhaps it's more of a non-fiction book. A self-improvement tome with a title of, I don't know, "The Prophet Within."

Interesting that I would make this blog a long term writing project, as I would have any other book. When I think about it, what a cool long-term product my younger-self attracted.