One PSP Game Coming His Way

Our vessel has just reached Annaba in Algeria.  I managed to make a quick call home and talk to my son. God I miss  him!  He sounded ecstatic to hear my voice and ask, "Dad, are you sending my PSP Superstars in Wrestling game today?"

I was caught off-guard.  He doesn't watch cable TV, hence, no access to wrestling shows.  So how did he come to know about wrestling?  And why does he want to play in on his PSP?

Ah. Kids.  I suspect he learned it in school again.  It's an affirmation that parents really cannot fully control or guard their children from being influenced by the outside forces.  I don't mind him wanting to watch wrestling.  Call it pampering, but yes, I get thrilled whenever my son asks me something he wants.  Why?  It is something I was NEVER able to do to my dad.

I come from a large family.  I was the 10th child in a brood of eleven (would have been the 12th  if the 2nd and 8th child didn't die).  And of the eleven (living children), I was one of the least favorite.  I never got toys on my birthdays.  None of my godparents even remembered me on Christmas.  And I was definitely not my daddy's pet.  So I guess that pretty much explains why I want to "pamper" my only child now by lavishing him with what was deprived of me when I was his age.  He is the apple of my eye and he knows it.

While many of my fellow seafarers share sad stories about being alienated from their children, of coming home to discover that their children treat them as strangers on vacation, of not being able to fathom or decipher the many changes their children went through all those months/years their father had to work afar, I feel thankful for the kind of bond my son and I share.  When I'm home, he likes to sleep with me.  Yes.  He likes to be kissed, hugged, tickled, massaged.  He comes up from nowhere and tells me "Dad, I love you."  In fact, we've managed to make a "secret code" for exchanging Iloveyou's in public ---

Its just hard to explain but yes, I am really truly grateful for the kind of father-and-son connection I have with my son.  They say we all aspire to become better fathers than our fathers.  I can only pray  for guidance so I can do a good job at parenting albeit being physically absent from my son's side most of the time.



Ahhh...gotta get back to work.  Tonight, I can't imagine his grin as he unwraps the "parcel" I supposedly sent---

Yes, my boy, one PSP game coming right up!