May 10: The very first time I met Marisa, I picked her up and put her on my motorcycle and started it up. It scared her so badly that she ran screaming into the house. I thought she would never speak to me again.
When Melinda and I got married, Marisa became my daughter – an instant family. Although it was a time of uncertainty for all of us, we soon settled into a daily routine. Walking her to school one rainy morning, we went to the corner where I saw her safely across the street and then watched as she headed up the street. She was wearing a yellow rain coat and hat, and rubber boots that looked about 3 sizes too big. They seemed to almost reach her knees. She was dawdling, as kids do, not wanting to get to school but really having no other option. She seemed so small, so vulnerable, and I realized the enormous responsibility I had assumed to keep her safe and secure while she grew up….
Thirty-some years later, she has grown into a beautiful, wonderful woman. Smart, determined and caring she is building a life with her partner Joel. Today she told us that she is expecting twins. Appropriately, it’s Mother’s Day.
This is something she has wanted for some time, and I am absolutely thrilled – and a more than a little scared – for her and Joel. Gaining an instant daughter through marriage is one thing; twins quite another. Marisa has been a huge blessing for me in my life. I love her to bits. Her children will be a challenge and a blessing for her too. And maybe in time, I can scare the shit out of them with a motorcycle too….