(Troy, Spot the Pit Bull and his baby, Bambi)
"But isn't she divorced...?"
My mind registered this question at lunch yesterday, when a friend of mine mentioned that she would be making such-and-such for Father's Day. I remember thinking to myself, "Now why would she be preparing a Father's Day meal for her ex-husband? I thought she hated his guts!"
And then it dawned upon me. She wasn't talking about her ex. She was talking about her REAL father.
To most people, this would seem painfully obvious. But I had lost my own father seven years ago so to me, Father's Day was all about my husband, LORENZO.
When I realized my mistake, a quiet emptiness settled into my heart. An emptiness tinged with envy, I'll admit. This particular friend was older than me, in fact, she already had two grown daughters in their twenties. Yet she still had her father with her. Life can be so unfair at times.
Still, it could be worse. At least I had a wonderful husband to celebrate with today, and celebrate we did, albeit simply. Lorenzo had work scheduled later tonight, so our usual out-of-town jaunt was out of the question. Instead, we spent the morning lying in each other's arms, talking and snuggling and talking some more. Later, we watched DVDs while Lance and Troy swam with their friends in the back yard. And when Daddy dozed off for his afternoon nap, Mommy got busy cooking.
In honor of my late FATHER, I made ropa vieja for dinner. Ropa Vieja, which literally translates to "old clothes", is a Cuban dish of shredded beef cooked in onions, peppers and tomatoes. It was one of the last meals I shared with my Dad at Cafe Havana in Malate. (Actually, it was his order, but as his eldest daughter and dinner date, I had the privilege of mooching shamelessly off his plate!)
Ropa Vieja is best prepared with fresh ingredients, but I was able to find a simpler recipe online which called for picante sauce. The best part of it is that I could devote the time I would otherwise spend chopping the onions, peppers and tomatoes into actually shredding the beef, which is the most time-consuming step of all. Unfortunately, I did not have plantains handy, but we did have Spanish rice, so Lorenzo's meal was still semi-authentic.
I am now writing this late in the day, so before it is over, I would like to greet my wonderful husband, Lorenzo, and thank him for being the same kind of father my Daddy was to me: always kind, always loving, always smiling, with a never-ending supply of hugs and kisses. No wonder my kids are so in love with him!
Happy Father's Day, Babe! I am so happy that our children, Lance, Troy, and Reanna, all have the privilege of calling you Daddy. And I am all the more blessed for it.
We love you soooo much, R.
