My favorite professional event of the year, PSA TEC, was held this week in Denver. Even though I typically make the journey to TEC for the entire week, this year I came home on Tuesday night. You see, Wednesday was Daddy and Me Day at my daughter’s Pre-K school, and nothing was keeping me away from that. As high as my expectations were, they were exceeded. Hanging out in her classroom and playground, joining her for snack time, and going to chapel time combined to deliver one of those experiences that magnetize you to the moment. However, as awesome as Daddy and Me Day was, that’s not why I’m writing about Wednesday.
The plan was for my daughter, Manhattan, to stay at school until 2:30, when our friend Nancy picked her up for dance class. My wife was in the middle of a major project at work, our nanny was sick, and I had a ton of work to finish; so, Nancy’s help was critical. As we daddies were leaving at 11:00, I had an overpowering voice inside telling me to check Manhattan out of school early. I walked out of the school to my car to get my computer, and the feeling grew stronger and stronger. I started to walk to my office, which is a block from her school, and the voice became a feeling in my gut – a feeling I couldn’t ignore any more. Without analyzing my workload or schedule, I walked back into the school and checked Manhattan out of class for the day.
Not a big deal, right? For me, this was a major event. I don’t get persuaded by that voice. I don’t delay work. I don’t play hooky. However, there was nothing that could’ve kept me from walking to that school and getting Manhattan. In fact, I don’t even think I was making the decision – it’s as though I was pulled into action. Sorry to get mystical about it, but that’s how it happened.
Our first stop was Beefy King for lunch. When I asked her what she wanted to do before dance, she answered without hesitation that she wanted to play golf, but in our front yard. So, we went home, and she used her little seven-iron to hack up our front yard for about 30 minutes. We then walked our dog Bella for about another half hour. Mix in some games here and there, and suddenly it was time for dance class. This is when it got fun…
Since we started our day of hooky, she had been asking me about making a bun. I didn’t know what she meant until she told me that a ponytail would be ok, if I could make one of those. Aha … she was asking about her hair for dance class. I answered with: “Ms. Nancy will put your hair in a bun for you.” This was it – this was the moment that will be tattooed into my memory: she started sobbing a little and asked me: “Can you take me to dance? I missed you.”
Well, you know the rest of the story. I went to dance class, and the ponytail I made Manhattan looked like Brad Pitt’s from Legends of the Fall. I didn’t care, and neither did she.
Wednesday really was one of the best days of my life. A bit dramatic? Maybe, but I’ll probably answer the same in ten years from now. I don’t react without data. I don’t miss work. I don’t do ponytails. On Wednesday, I did … and it was awesome.
