Evelyn: Paternal Review

It’s true that life changes when you become a parent… but one thing I did not expect is the perspective on life… including the media.  Shiiiite… why does every freakin’ movie you watch have to do with something about fatherhood?!! 

“Evelyn” is based on true story of yonder years when old and outdated law in Ireland prevents a father from regaining his children when his wife leaves him.  The sheer will of the father to fight the system to regain the only people that matter in his life, things climb up the ladder to the Supreme Court, facing for entire children in Ireland.

As a father, this movie was a heartbreaker.  I can’t imagine how crazy I would be if I were in his shoes.  As much as I could care less about Pierce Brosnan, he did awesome job in making me not hate him in this movie.  I can only imagine that I would go crazy if my kids were taken away from me and was forbidden from ever seeing my kids again.  It not only broke my heart seeing another father suffer, but made me furious at seeing how an entity that was created to watch over us, like a government, could become so heartless.

We have enough problem in this world where parents no longer want their children, and so we surely don’t need the world stop the parents that actually do want their kids from seeing them!    From the get go, I was biased towards the movie.  I will acknowledge that.  Yet this movie re-invigorated the true meaning of being a father, despite the odds, despite what others say.

A child’s life is hugely impacted, affected, and shaped by the parents.  I pray that I will be a one to match…  The movie is a must-see for anyone who is a parent or one who will be one.

Anna’s Two Teeth

Anna’s all growing up… these past two days, she lost her first two teeth!

It was a painful (and loud) ordeal… but we are proud of her for dealing with it. She lost the 2nd one while eating strawberries. And then we went to local Ben & Jerry’s to celebrate!! It was good times…

The Pursuit of Happyness: Personal Review

I’ve been afraid of many things before… and weirdly enough, watching this movie is in that same place.  Wondering why?  It’s because I can see myself in that same place.  Losing everything, having nothing going right, and having to sacrifice just about anything so that he could provide.  For his son.

I cried practically from the get go of the movie.  I felt and saw every bit of this man’s struggles and heart tearing life… The last 5 minutes of the movie… was the best tear jerker in my life.  Fatherhood is something no man should ever think lowly of… he sure didn’t.

I can only pray that I can be that committed to my family and our well being.  I don’t own a home.  Life may be hard but I have a family to be thankful for… roof over our heads, food to eat.  Watch this movie … to understand the heart of a father.

Teeth Incident

Ah the joys of raising kids… I was going to let them watch bit of TV (JJ loves Thomas the Tank Engine) and then off to the library for Thursday’s Family Time.  Then all of a sudden, Anna rushes to me crying!  Hard! 

She was bleeding in her mouth… turns out Anna was biting on a blanket, and JJ pulled on it.  Hard!  Her teeth were loose… Yikes.  After much panicking, I called Soojin and then Sanghee for advice.  Both told me to ice her teeth area to rid the pain.

After some time, bleeding stopped and spoke with her dentist who told me what I needed to hear.  Don’t bother taking her to ER ’cause all we will do is wait and they won’t do anything.  She told me to just ice it, stop the bleeding, and feed her liquids and soft foods only.

Ah the excitement of raising children… one bites and one pulls. 

I remembered why…

… I hated alcohol with passion.

I know this kid.  I spoke with him recently to learn that he and his mom are moving out.  Why?  His father is a drunk… a violent one at that.    His father would threaten him and the family.  If the law was up to me, I’d allow imprisonment solely based upon physical threat upon an immediate family member.    Why must men do this??

The sad part is that his dad is not the first that I know of.  Another sister in Christ suffers heavily from such a violent father.  In fact, she doesn’t know the whereabouts of her mom because her mom ran away for her own safety, and because she was so scared for her own life, she didn’t let any of her children know where she disappeared to…

Why must we do such a thing to our own family.  Alcohol itself isn’t evil.  However, when you mix it with men, it becomes way too dangerous.  Alcohol has to be one of the worst family breakers ever.  I am ashamed to be a man because of such family violence that we cause.  I seldom touch alcohol and it will become even less frequent as I hear more of such tragedies…

Please pray for the safety of the kid and his mom…  and all the children and the spouses of abused out there.  I’m sure God is more than sad to see this kind of brokenness.  And men, please remember what addiction can do to your loved ones…

Hot Choco and God

With the “colder” weather around, I decided to make hot chocolate for the kids for snack   What is interesting is afterwards.  Evidently, JJ decided to clean up after himself and wiped the spilled hot choco that was on the placemat.  I somewhat chuckled at seeing his rather lame effort at the clean up.

Then it reminded me of how God would look at my way(s) of cleaning up my own mess in life, only to come after my attempts and He does His own clean up.  I wonder if He chuckles as well seeing at His son’s lame attempt at cleaning up.    It also reminded me that I shouldn’t mock anybody else’s mistakes, but rather keep myself in check.  It’s rather funny how God can re-teach lessons of life in so many ways.

I am humbled… yet again.