When the Father of Your Children MOONS a Nun
by Tracy Douglas
Granted, Robert was 12 when he dropped trou to bare his butt, however, the signs of being a great father were apparent in his brazen act.
Huh? Well…
He keeps life fun, surprising, and exciting.
Dude carries a megaphone to keep our group together when we travel. And he’s not afraid to use it!
When the kids were younger, he’d play night hide and seek with them. There’s an epic family story that took place one pitch black night. He was allllll in his feels of being a silent ninja running on a winding wooded path hunting his quarry when WHAM!!! He ran smack into the very solid trunk of a tree. So loud that the kids heard the ‘thunk’ and laughed themselves right over onto the ground.
Now that they’re older, he’s adjusted accordingly. I’ll always remember when he told our niece who was going to homecoming for the first time to be careful of anyone trying to touch her boobies. I had a complete spit take of the hard lemonade I was drinking as it was such a total dad/uncle thing to do.
Nothing’s off limits.
As was indicated by young Robert mooning a nun and to this day anybody else who gives him even a skosh of encouragement.
He takes care of the family’s needs (emotionally and physically)
You have very good reason to be asking yourself. “What need could POSSIBLY be expressed by him airing his fanny!?!” Why, the one for authentic expression of unique individuality, good soul!
Robert has always been unconditionally supportive of our children’s particular gifts, strengths, and leading edges of growth.
When our oldest daughter, MJ shared her sexual orientation with us, it was just intrinsic to him to let her know, without hesitation, that he appreciated her sharing that facet of her life with us and he completely accepts and supports her.
When an arts academy opened on the other side of the city, Parker Arts Academy, he didn’t hesitate to have us sign up our youngest daughter, Jazmyn, for it even though he knew it would mean a significant investment of his time and energy since it takes him an hour a day to drive her to and from school. He’s willing because he knows how richly she’ll reap the benefits of the program now and in the future.
Truly he is always thinking about all our needs. How many dads do you know that have tampons on hand for their daughters, just in case? And when he gives his frequent safe sex talks, he leaves condoms behind with no judgment or questions asked.
He’ll also have the important conversations around sex to ensure that our kids know how to be safe emotionally and physically for themselves as they continue to grow into this part of their lives.
I just adore how his communications and actions are so comfortable and easy and how they’ve contributed to creating a foundation of strength and safety for our children to become the best versions of who they’re meant to be.
He lives his values inside and outside of the home.
Confession time. It’s not as if Robert didn’t know the nun. He did. It was a friend of his aunt’s who was a super cool lady and appreciated the opportunity to laugh at his butt.
So, you can see that one of the values he lived by then, and continues to bring to life is having fun whenever possible, life is too short not to.
He also embodies equity in the home being a complete partner in sharing household tasks like cleaning and cooking. (If you get a chance, ask him to make his Cajun Shrimp Pasta for you sometime. He came across a rad recipe and it’s a huge hit in our house!)
Another value that’s deeply meaningful to me is that he advocates for social justice in racial and sex equality. As a BIPOC woman married to a white man, it’s a special source of healing and joy to me that he recognizes existing disparities and educates our children on social ills. He works to overcome the challenges because he’s that kind of person and because we have children who include living examples of peoples who have been historically oppressed and marginalized in this world and he wants to improve life for them.
Speaking of the world, on larger and smaller scales, he helps better it by volunteering his time and energy. Local and national non-profit organizations reach out for help and he generously puts his expertise in videography and photography at their service.
So, while Robert has an irreverent sense of humor, he has a deep reverence for living the values of equity, equality, and giving back. Our kids are so lucky to have him and have Father’s Day to celebrate him.
Wishing a very Happy Father’s Day to those who father with fun, strength, and love to make this world a better place to be.
