I have the great good fortune of being a parent of two extraordinary humans. Each of them has the great good fortune of carrying not even one strand of my DNA. Not a smidge. There are certain of us whose genetic line should end upon our tripping of the mortal coil. I am one such human.
Today, my son Rob celebrates his birthday. I am more proud of the man he is than I can ever adequately express. May today bring him the happiness, the love, and the peace that he deserves. He has earned every bit of it.
While I have no desire to speed-dial through the summer I am excited by the prospect of spending a night or two (or three) with him towards summer’s end in the Swamps of Jersey seeing Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Almost a quarter century ago, way back when on August 9, 1999 I took him to his first Springsteen show. It was on the Reunion tour. We had seats directly behind the stage in the very last row of the upper tier in Byrne Arena. We loved every minute of it.
In the years since we have seen Springsteen in Jersey, New York City, Philly, North Carolina, and Denver. We saw Springsteen on Broadway together towards the end of its run. I love that we have bonded through Bruce’s music. It has provided me - a man not particularly adept at expressing my feelings towards my son and raised by a man who was even less adept at it than am I - with a conduit through which I could connect with my son.
Happy Birthday, Rob. Much love. Today. Tomorrow. Always.
-AK
Happy Birthday!
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