Feb 1, 2008

Father’s Day…at a glance
    It was still a week before father’s day at Rosemont but the kids were already reminding me of the event. Abby, my eldest, told me that they had a cheer prepared while Jerry, my youngest, showed me his newly acquired dance moves. This was to be our second year having father’s day at Rosemont and I wasn’t exactly looking forward to all the jostling and elbowing we had been through last year. The kids were excited though, and I knew this was a great opportunity for the family to have fun.
    The Sunday started out just like last year as there were three teams, red, blue and green with matching T shirts yet again. I saw familiar faces, some colleagues from the hospital, as well as new fathers and their kids eager to begin the festivities. The parade of teams started the ball rolling and expectedly, we were greeted with smiles, cheers and flash photography. We got into our designated positions and I was anticipating another memorable father’s day as my kids were already jumping in their places with excitement.
    The highlight of the day was the cheer dance of all the kids and their teachers. This was the part of the celebration my kids were talking about all week long and I remembered how my daughter kept telling me to be there to watch her dance. She even mentioned numerous times that the dancers would be upfront so that everyone could see them. The cheer dance started with much fanfare as a sea of colored pompoms moved in synchrony from one direction to another. Parents were strategically huddled front and center as every inch of space was occupied by a camera wielding mother or father, my wife included.
    I struggled at a back corner to try and see my two kids in action. Surprisingly, it was Jerry, the smaller of the two that I saw first since he couldn’t follow the choreography and was obliviously dancing to his own beat. In the midst of the organized chaos I saw my daughter grooving with the rest of her class. She gazed behind while dancing, but didn’t see me. I saw the look of worry in her face, the struggle of frustration in her arms as she beat the pompoms up in the air. I thought she would go through the cheer without knowing that I was watching her intently, giving my own cheer to support their effort.
    Then, she glanced back again and this time our eyes met amidst the confusion of yelling kids and waving parents. Her frown quickly turned into the biggest smile I’ve seen her make, as I gave her the thumbs up and waved to her to keep dancing. This was my own highlight for the day. I knew from there on end that the memory of this father’s day would be that glance with that smile my daughter gave me.
    The rest of the merriment unfolded without too many surprises. It was different this year without the obstacle course of booths with their corresponding consequences. Gone were the pairs of father and their kid rushing from one station to another to fulfill the task for their team. This was a welcome change I think, as the scientist and project theme was more laid back and less competitive. Both my kids enjoyed their projects, one of which included the construction of a styrofoam glider which could actually fly. Throughout the day they echoed how great a time they had.
    
We go through our day to day routine in an almost mechanical fashion. Hardly do we remember the myriad of interactions we undertake everyday. Even within our own families, we revolve around our usual schedules that make relations just short of habitual. It is days like father’s day at Rosemont that provides us with an opportunity to break this habit of routines. In fact on some occasions, if we’re lucky, it could be a day where memories could be made. I was glad it was that kind of a day.