Midas the Godfather

Prompted by the contemplations of my buddy, Frieds. I want to share a Thanksgiving-specific experience of mine, with you guys.

I hope everyone can get something out of it, but this one is dedicated to the monkey rotting in his cubicle...one foot in front of the other...counting down the minutes until closing time.

I have one real friend in this world. Name, dates and locations are inconsequential. We've known each since diapers. We laughed and cried together since before we could speak.

Life has taken us in two completely separate directions. He chose the "quiet life" and is a devout family man, with his third child on the way. I on the other hand, followed my ambition and desires. They took me to far off places and on many adventures.

Four years ago, I got a call from my friend. It was November 24th, 2006...

His wife had gone into labor and he wanted me to be there. Throughout our lives we had been there for each other. We jokingly refer to one another until this day as "Godfather".

The idea was always to be godfather to each other's children.
And on that fateful day, I stood...
Knee deep in work and piles of cash on my mind. I was on a roll like never before. Suffice it to say that I was having the sort of month which for some people was a year and for some... a decade's worth of wages.

The call came at the worst possible time. I really wanted to go. Money hadn't taken control of my life to the point where I didn't know what mattered most. Ambition hadn't become the boss of me...
I reasoned ...

There was just too much to do, money knew no holiday and growth didn't care about your family. The opportunity was there so I had to seize it...and seize it I did.

In the years that have passed, we have seen each other once...briefly. We are still brothers. The love hasn't waned. This isn't about people's opinions or my own self validation.

The truth is simple.

I missed an important day. Though it is just a ritual, I missed the opportunity to Christen the boy I love like a son.

To make things worse...I did the same thing a year-and-a-half later...
for the exact same reason...

Tomorrow is not only Thanksgiving. It is the birthday of someone I care about and want to set an example for. He asks about me all the time...my friend says.

Though he's far too young to understand. He's lucky he has the dad that he has and in time he'll realize that the real role model...

is not the guy who was off making the big bucks
but the guy that stayed home...