The song talks about a father whose wife left with the kids. He tries to reconcile how much he misses them while at the same time thinking, "...a kid should be with his mother, everybody knows that." It hits me because I struggle with that every day. I miss my kids dearly. By far, it's been THE hardest thing about being divorced.
I used to make them breakfast every morning. I'm a morning person so I would get up first, either go to the gym or make coffee and read. At 7 I'd start breakfast and then go wake the kids up. My daughter Abigail is the type that wakes up immediately in a good mood. "Hi Daddy!" and she was up. My son Hudson is the exact opposite. He'd bark out, "No, sleeping..." and roll back over. After they were up, we'd eat breakfast, finish Dora, and I'd drive them to school. They would argue over who got to poke their heads out of the sunroof while waiting in car line.
I see them on Wednesdays and usually one day over the weekend. It's hard to cram parenting into those two days. Sting laments, "What can a father do but babysit sometimes..." That's exactly how it feels. Babysitters try to make the night as pleasant as possible until the parents come back from date night. Sometimes I feel that's all I can really do. Help pass the time until they have to go back.
Sting closes the song by reflecting on how "the park is full of Sunday fathers and melted ice cream." A full time role vainly trying to be filled on a part time basis. The other time you're wondering what they are thinking. What made them laugh today. Whether they were confused or scared. Trying to figure out how best to protect them from this crazy and often unkind world while being across town in a now empty house.
"We try to do the best within the given time."
Amen Sting
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Once upon a time, I wrote a rant about part-time fathers. At this time said fathers were of the species who give ones such as you a bad reputation. The kind who one can easily spot in a crowd, looking preturbed and impatient while tugging along an equally preturbed an impatient tot. He checks his watch every few seconds, waiting for the time fast approaching when his sentence ends and he can return the child to his or her mother. You can always spot the weekend Dad. It is the Daddy's of the world who want to be a father, who aspire to be the hero in their children's lives... who despite best efforts things did not work out. He suffers because he feels that in the end, the children should be with Mom. And he wonders if his children know that he thinks of them all the time when they are not with him. You know what, they do... And my sincerest apologies to the Dad's who do the right thing each day, sacrificing their own needs for the sake of their children. They know...
http://twicecharmed.blogspot.com/2008/04/what-it-all-comes-down-to.html
@twicecharmed - I hope they do
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