Fatherhood Friday: Beards for Breast Cancer Month

Don't forget to check out the website, Beards for Breast Cancer, for more details, photos, and the 411 on Beards for Breast Cancer Month, October 1st - October 31st

Selflessness is not Natural

Let me open this post with a little history behind it's origin. It is Sunday night, I just got off from work and settled in for the night. The Wifey is working on learning definitions for her medical terminology class, the kiddos are in bed, and I am  at the computer, on Twitter, sitting here trying to write a post for Monday. Enter the brain fart. I sit here, and sit here, and sit here ...  bueller ....... bueller .............. bueller ... You get the picture. I cannot get anything to flow from my brain, to my fingers, to the keys on my laptop. Nothing!

So I throw out into the Twitterverse: "Quick, throw some words at me to write a short post about for tomorrow ... ready .... GO!". Now enter: Renee (@theblondeview)*  with the answer to my call for desperate inspiration. One word stuck out at me immediately: SELFLESSNESS ... It is a subject that I have been struggling with recently and trying to grasp a better concept of. 

The Wifey just started classes this fall. The study load is pretty heavy and the subjects are getting tougher. The study time required plus the time required to get all the other chores to be done makes for a demanding schedule. The SAHM of our two little kiddos and full time student stays busy, tired, and in need of my support (and sometimes a study buddy). My work schedule bounces between morning shift and night shift and makes a grand challenge for steady sleep habits that even Hercules can't beat. I try to take more of the parental obligations off of her the times that I am home, though I admit I struggle with it at times. 

Just this morning, I was thinking about my attitudes and the amount of heart I am putting behind the support I give to my wife. Am I doing it because I want to? Or because I HAVE to? Am I offering it with all my heart, or am I using some kind of hidden agenda? With all that we have going on right now, am I giving my whole heart into everything I do especially, when it comes to my wife and my children?

Selflessness is not natural. It is not a trait that we are born into that just pours out. Selflessness takes work, conditioning of the heart, the mind, and the soul. It is a trait I strive for. A trait, I admit, I do not always have, and probably should have more often. My wife is doing something amazing! She has taken the challenge upon herself, to go back to school, get a degree, and a great job, all to help benefit the well being of our family. I do support her, I am behind her, and wish her the best of luck and success with this new adventure of life. I know it has to be hard for her to balance studying, dishes, laundry, bedtime, bath time, naptime, off to school, home from school, groceries, and finally dealing with me being a turd half the time. That's a lot to deal with!

For me, the struggle has been being more willing to jump right up and do whatever needs to be done, no matter how tired, no matter how hungry, no matter how smelly I am, to just get up and do it. No questions, no whining (we hear enough of that from the kids), no thinking about myself. Being selfless and providing the real, loving, and committed support she needs.

It will take work, dedication, self empowerment, and faith. It will not be easy at all times, but nor will it be half hearted. I am committed to being the man my wife, my children, and my friends need me to be. I know the road is tough sometimes, and I am tired, hungry, weary, in need of self time, and those times will be my greatest challenge, but I will try my best to overlook myself, be the selfless man, and do what needs to be done. It is what I am called to do.


*Sidenote: Check out Renee's blog at http://theblondeview.blogspot.com

Tweeps Helping Peeps: Say Hello to Ty!

Ladies and gentleman, welcome to the second post in the "Tweeps Helping Peeps" series. Today it is my great pleasure to introduce you to a wonderful little man with a big heart and a great love for adventure. 

Everyone, say hello to Ty! Ty is 7 (and 3/4) years old. He loves adventure, loves his family,  and just loves life in general. Ty also has Down Syndrome. He is such an active little man, loves going to school (especially PE and Computer class) and loves to share his adventures with his mom who writes them down for him in her blog, Ty's Adventures. Be sure to check out all he has to say about his family, his friends, and life in general. You can go to the blog by clicking the image at the bottom of the post. 

Now I would like to let you hear a little bit from Ty, in his words. So get up out of your seats, stop your feet and clap your hands, and give a great big DaddyYo Blog welcome, to TY!!!!

Tweeps Helping Peeps : Cassie and Sam, The Power of Social Media

"Twitter is stupid." 

"Social media will be the downfall of our society." 

"Nobody cares what you had for lunch."  

You've heard it all, haven't you?  Maybe you've even said it.  But I can prove you wrong.  Well, at least on the first two...  I really don't care what you had for lunch.  My name is Cassie Sartin and John asked me to write a guest post for this here DaddyYo Blog about "Tweeps Helping Peeps."  And John's a good guy so here we are. 

Tweeps Helping Peeps : Introduction to the Newest Series for The DaddyYo Blog

I have been brewing with ideas for a new series on The DaddyYo Blog. And, with a little help from my tweeps, the new series is very close to going live! I have passed the idea around to several people, all of which have provided great feedback and support for this, and to those people I say thank you! Without you, this series would not be rolling and ready to go.

I would now like to introduce you to "Tweeps Helping Peeps". This will be a new, weekly series beginning in the next couple of weeks about raising children with special needs. The series seeks to highlight personal stories from families raising children with special needs, and also seeks to raise awareness and support for those families and others.

Those who share their stories are encouraged to provide links and other relevant information and resources on the topic of the illness or condition they are familiar with.  The hope is to keep the series as real as it can be by lending the space to anyone who has a story they would like to share. I hope that 90% or more of the content you find will be submitted by moms, dads, and other family members. Occasionally, however, the series will feature write-ups and information on various hospitals, research groups,  support groups, and advocacy groups with links to them and other helpful resources. I promise to be faithful in providing nothing but truth, facts, and helpful information that I find and feel safe in sharing. (I will do my homework when posting anything that is not a guest post from someone else)


DISCLAIMER : I, myself, do not have a child with needs, and NEVER will you find me trying to act like I know a lot about the subject. For that reason, most of the content found within the series will be written by moms, dads, and other family members themselves. This is a subject that has laid heavy on my heart, even since my early teen years. Not knowing first hand what it is like, facilitating discussion and connections is my way of extending a helping hand to those who need it.

The purpose, and hope for the future of this series, is to let people share their voices and their stories and connect with other families who go through the same things they do. I hope, in the future, this series will become a place for people seeking information and wanting to hear direct, first hand accounts, from the people who have lived it as well.


HOW YOU CAN HELP : Spread the word! Tweeting about it? Use the hashtag #TweepsHelpingPeeps to help me keep up with what is being said. If you or someone you know would like to share their story with other parents, then please contact me (John : thedaddyyoblog@gmail.com) or catch me on Twitter (@DaddyYoEffinRox)

This is a subject that I am passionate about, as I'm sure a lot of parents are. I'm very excited and anxious for this new series to begin, and I can't wait to share some of the stories I am already getting. Stay tuned to The DaddyYo Blog and keep up on Twitter for the official launch of the series. And of course, have a great Friday, and a fantastic weekend!

DaddyYo

"Tweeps Helping Peeps" Logo Design by Chris Routly
                                                                Catch him at Daddy Doctrines
                                                                and his comic "Life of Ronnie"

Showing Some Love: For Aaron and MJ

It has always been a pleasure to meet so many great people through Twitter and the blogosphere and to connect with so many caring and supportive people. It is great to see everyone come together for different causes and what they believe in.

Today, we come together to offer our support and love to Aaron (@DaddyFiles) and his wife MJ. For those of you not familiar with the story, with MJ 16 weeks pregnant, they  faced  the most difficult decision that no parents should ever have to face, through their love for each other and unshakable strength, they made the hardest decision they will probably ever face. The  child was found to have Serinnmelia (Mermaid Syndrome) and other medical issues. You can read more about it on Aaron's blog and I suggest everyone reading this do so.

As I was saying earlier, it is awesome to know such caring and supportive people like the one's I have had the pleasure to meet recently. So, to Aaron and MJ, we all care. We all love you, and you are in our thoughts and prayers. God never puts more on us than what he thinks we can handle, and you two are wonderful examples of strength in love and that strength is something I really admire in you. I will continue to pray for you and keep you in my thoughts. And know that anything you need, I am here for you. And there are many more people who have a few words of love for you as well! Just read on!