Their Arrival at a Unified Scene

An important piece of business must be acknowledged on this "Return to Work" Tuesday, which is that today is the birthday of one of my favorite humans, my daughter-in-law Jessica.  I still remember the first time I met her, which was in Newark Airport.  She and Rob had flown east to New Jersey (separately but together) for visits with their respective families.  Initially, part of Rob's itinerary was taking the old man with him to see The Hold Steady play at a club in New York City.   

However, a week or so before he was scheduled to arrive (and as I tried to figure out the over/under on naps I needed to take the day of the show to give me a puncher's chance of being awake by the time the gig started), he telephoned me to ask me if I would mind if he took someone else instead.  "You see, I've met this girl...", he said as he said Jess's name aloud to me for the first time.  While I do not remember precisely what I said to him in response, it was something along the lines of "If you take me with you instead of her, I will disinherit you!" (as if the 11 cents coming his way from my Estate will make him or break him).   

I am the designated "airport pick-up" guy in our family.  There I was that evening waiting for Rob to walk from his arrival gate to the point in Terminal C in Newark Airport where one can greet arriving passengers when I saw Jess for the very first time.  It was impossible to miss her as she and Rob were walking side-by-side and hand-in-hand.  My son has always been a man of few words.  I learned way back when he was a little boy the importance of reading his non-verbal cues, such as the glint in his eyes and the look on his face in an effort to get a read on him.  From one hundred and fifty feet away seeing his face that which I saw made me smile.  

Almost one decade, and two beautiful little girls, later, Jess and Rob continue to walk side-by-side and hand-in-hand.   One might say they themselves have held steady.  Me?  I would say they have done more than that.  Much more.   

They not only started with a positive jam...  

...they have seen it through. 

-AK