Great things are not done by impulse, but a series of small things brought together.
~Vincent Van Gogh
It’s a year and a half ago, on my birthday, and Daisy hands me a box. It’s rectangle, about the size of a coffee table book.
I look at the box, pick it up, and measure it against possible matches in my head.
It can’t be what I think it is. That’s impossible.
I open the box.
GASP!
It’s beautiful.
I pet, then remove the gift from its shell. I place it in my lap.
“We have to return it,” I say.
My heart skips a beat as I speak. I can tell that Daisy’s has done the same.
“We can’t afford it.” I repeat the message in different words, just in case they had fallen out in the wrong order the first time.
Daisy looks at me, silent. I know that she wants me to be excited. I can feel her desire to see me jump up and down, and break into a garish smile. She wants to hear me shouting in glee.
“I have to return it.” My voice is almost a whisper.
Daisy then uses a word said less often between us than the word flabbergasted. ”No,” she says. ”You deserve this.” She takes my hand and places it on top of the gift.
I run my fingers across the lid and then I lift the screen. Twenty-six letters stare at me from three neat rows.
“We can’t afford it.”
“We can’t afford not to.”
This is my logic she is using. Flawed, of course, but I’m listening.
“Go on.”
“Your brain needs to be busy. This will take you anywhere you want to go. Please don’t fight me.” Her sentences are short. She doesn’t want to argue. Neither do I.
“Write a book, make a million,” she adds. She does not say this then with the certainty that she will nine months later, but the seed is planted. What she means in that moment is that I can do anything I want to and, dollar for dollar, she just handed me the finest tool in the world.
After a brief exchange where I was reminded whose retirement was cashed out (Daisy’s) to buy the house, and who decided how to spend every penny (Writer Dad), I conceded. It’s eighteen months later, and I am thrilled to report, Daisy was right.
If I paid two dollars every day from that day until now, the Macbook would be paid for. That’s less than a cup of coffee.
Today is our anniversary, a perfect time to acknowledge the amazing person who brought us all together.
Daisy and I have been married for seven years, holding hands for eleven. It’s a bit of time, but compared to my grandparents who were married for three quarters of a century, it’s really just the first few buds to bloom on the branches of a freshly planted tree.
In that full year plus a decade, Daisy has never doubted me. Whenever a crazy idea tumbles from my mind, her first question is always,
“What can we do to make it happen?”
Most recently, when I said that I thought it was time for us to write full time and take a machete to life’s jungle, she bought fifty spiral notebooks from Target at ten cents each and piled them around every room of our house. ”Don’t let your ideas get away,” she said, kissing me on the mouth. ”You’re brilliant.”
Pertinent facts – Writer Dad: 7th grade kind of cool, 8th grade really cool, 9th grade total nerd. Junior year, argument with guidance counselor. Academic files grow fuzzy after that.
Pertinent facts – Daisy: Master teacher with a specialty in early childhood education. Multiple recipient of the Teacher of the Year Award. Has taught on four continents and helped to design curriculum.
Daisy is my biggest cheerleader. She believes in me with a certainty that could only be described as spiritual. She is always downcast when she believes I’m bored, but I’ve never seen her happier. This is in large part because, with no less than 1,342 projects swallowing our horizon, my brain has never been this busy.
Thank you Daisy, for conversations that flow like a decade worth of running water. Thank you for being a tireless mother to our exhausting children.
Parenting well is often rewarding, usually fun, and rarely easy. Doing it with you is like dribbling a ball.
Our future has never been more pregnant and, as scary as it might be, there is no one on this Earth I’d rather hold hands with as we jump into the unknown.
Happy anniversary. I love you.
Writer Dad
If you enjoyed my words, please subscribe. I promise I’ll be back again tomorrow.
About Sean Platt
Writer Dad,
The pair of you sound like amazing people.
Your happiness shines through in your writing. I don’t think you could disguise it, even if you tried.
If you ask me, you’re already a millionaire!
Have a wonderful day Daisy and Writer Dad.
All the best,
Dave.
Writer Dad,
The pair of you sound like amazing people.
Your happiness shines through in your writing. I don’t think you could disguise it, even if you tried.
If you ask me, you’re already a millionaire!
Have a wonderful day Daisy and Writer Dad.
All the best,
Dave.
Oh you were so right to keep the MacBook. Taking the plunge to give yourself the right tools is so important (especially when it’s a MAC).
I loved reading this. Congratulations to you both.
Robins last blog post..Letting Creativity Just Slip In
Oh you were so right to keep the MacBook. Taking the plunge to give yourself the right tools is so important (especially when it’s a MAC).
I loved reading this. Congratulations to you both.
Robins last blog post..Letting Creativity Just Slip In
Ok, so it is now official, I want to hear Daisy’s side of the story. Does she blog at all? Also, we need to get together and grab a cup of coffee…I have a lot of brain picking I need to do with you! By the way, I better not see you on here today. Go enjoy your day with your wife and family, the blog will take care of itself for a day. : )
Ok, so it is now official, I want to hear Daisy’s side of the story. Does she blog at all? Also, we need to get together and grab a cup of coffee…I have a lot of brain picking I need to do with you! By the way, I better not see you on here today. Go enjoy your day with your wife and family, the blog will take care of itself for a day. : )
Beautiful. Happy anniversary!!
Emilys last blog post..Simple. Frugal. Fabulous.
Beautiful. Happy anniversary!!
Emilys last blog post..Simple. Frugal. Fabulous.
Congratulations to you both.
I think it’s proper that you thank your wife for the strength and support she is. I know my wife is to blame for any success I have.
Congratulations to you both.
I think it’s proper that you thank your wife for the strength and support she is. I know my wife is to blame for any success I have.
Wow. You’re a very lucky guy to have all that support and encouragement. Daisy sounds like a blessing for you.
Pauls last blog post..Murder and motivation.
Wow. You’re a very lucky guy to have all that support and encouragement. Daisy sounds like a blessing for you.
Pauls last blog post..Murder and motivation.
Dave: Thank you. Not to sound cliche, but I do feel like a millionaire already.
Robin: Thank you Robin. I never thought I could love inanimate object as much as I do my Macbook.
Sal: We all will hear Daisy soon. Right now, she is doing all of her work, as well as some of mine so that I can take the lead on this. You are welcome to pick my brain at any time.
Emily: Thank you.
Ryan: She is an amazing team player. I could not run without her.
Paul: Daisy is indeed a blessing.
Dave: Thank you. Not to sound cliche, but I do feel like a millionaire already.
Robin: Thank you Robin. I never thought I could love inanimate object as much as I do my Macbook.
Sal: We all will hear Daisy soon. Right now, she is doing all of her work, as well as some of mine so that I can take the lead on this. You are welcome to pick my brain at any time.
Emily: Thank you.
Ryan: She is an amazing team player. I could not run without her.
Paul: Daisy is indeed a blessing.
Happy Anniversary! Referring to the two of you jumping into the unknown, I say Jump On My Friend. Jump On!
Stacey / CreateaBalances last blog post..I Love You….Your Turn
Happy Anniversary! Referring to the two of you jumping into the unknown, I say Jump On My Friend. Jump On!
Stacey / CreateaBalances last blog post..I Love You….Your Turn
Great Blog, very different really glad I found it through your post on ZenHabits. Keep up the inspirational writing!
Chriss last blog post..My Simple guide to Rockstar Abs
Great Blog, very different really glad I found it through your post on ZenHabits. Keep up the inspirational writing!
Chriss last blog post..My Simple guide to Rockstar Abs
Writer Dad,
Happy Anniversary! Sounds like you have a wonderful partnership.
And never, ever suggest returning a present from your beloved: she’s conveying that her long-term belief in you is stronger than any possible short term debt you could incur!
Congrats!
Rita
Ritas last blog post..How a Hard Hit on the Head Can Help ANY Man
Writer Dad,
Happy Anniversary! Sounds like you have a wonderful partnership.
And never, ever suggest returning a present from your beloved: she’s conveying that her long-term belief in you is stronger than any possible short term debt you could incur!
Congrats!
Rita
Ritas last blog post..How a Hard Hit on the Head Can Help ANY Man
WD,
Happy Anniversary to you and Daisy. That was wonderful post.
Here’s to many more years of tackling the unknown and embracing life and it comes rushing at you.
Be well.
Ian
WD,
Happy Anniversary to you and Daisy. That was wonderful post.
Here’s to many more years of tackling the unknown and embracing life and it comes rushing at you.
Be well.
Ian
Congrats on the Anniversary. You guys seem to make a dream team ready for the challenges of life. No wonder you feel like a millionaire already!
David “CrazyKinux” Perrys last blog post..Traveling with kids
Congrats on the Anniversary. You guys seem to make a dream team ready for the challenges of life. No wonder you feel like a millionaire already!
David “CrazyKinux” Perrys last blog post..Traveling with kids
Writer Dad,
That’s just about the sweetest thing I’ve read in a long time. Happy Anniversary!
And I’m glad you listened to Daisy about the Macbook. I love mine, too. ;-) My husband and I had a very similar conversation when I got it in 2006.
~ Annie
Writer Dad,
That’s just about the sweetest thing I’ve read in a long time. Happy Anniversary!
And I’m glad you listened to Daisy about the Macbook. I love mine, too. ;-) My husband and I had a very similar conversation when I got it in 2006.
~ Annie
Happy Anniversary!
And, continue to enjoy your Mac.
Happy Anniversary!
And, continue to enjoy your Mac.
“I run my fingers across the lid and then I lift the screen. Twenty-six letters stare at me from three neat rows.”
This would fit in well with a romance novel :-)
I can understand your affection for a computer – it can accomplish so much!
I agree with your wife though, it’s a great investment. Your writing is bound to bring you returns far greater than the price tag of the computer. Furthermore, this is a profession you need never retire from.
Bamboo Forests last blog post..The Frightening Truth about Bloggers
“I run my fingers across the lid and then I lift the screen. Twenty-six letters stare at me from three neat rows.”
This would fit in well with a romance novel :-)
I can understand your affection for a computer – it can accomplish so much!
I agree with your wife though, it’s a great investment. Your writing is bound to bring you returns far greater than the price tag of the computer. Furthermore, this is a profession you need never retire from.
Bamboo Forests last blog post..The Frightening Truth about Bloggers
Stacy: Thanks. I’m closing my eyes and jumping…. now!
Chris: Me too. I’ll have to check out how to get my rockstar abs after work. I have one hit wonder abs right now.
Rita: I have learned my lesson.
Ian: Thank you, and I’m excited to think of a limerick.
David: Daisy is definitely the other half of my dream team. I’d be just a lonely guy without her.
Annie: Yeah, I got mine in 2006 too. I don’t know what I was thinking. It’s like my favorite thing ever.
Lance: I will enjoy it until it is just a non functioning piece of plastic. Then I will use it as a TV Tray.
Bamboo Forest: Mac porn. We both know that’s gotta be out there somewhere already, right?
Stacy: Thanks. I’m closing my eyes and jumping…. now!
Chris: Me too. I’ll have to check out how to get my rockstar abs after work. I have one hit wonder abs right now.
Rita: I have learned my lesson.
Ian: Thank you, and I’m excited to think of a limerick.
David: Daisy is definitely the other half of my dream team. I’d be just a lonely guy without her.
Annie: Yeah, I got mine in 2006 too. I don’t know what I was thinking. It’s like my favorite thing ever.
Lance: I will enjoy it until it is just a non functioning piece of plastic. Then I will use it as a TV Tray.
Bamboo Forest: Mac porn. We both know that’s gotta be out there somewhere already, right?
A beautiful tribute to your wife, and your life together thus far. Happy anniversary!
Urban Panthers last blog post..Don’t tell me I can’t
A beautiful tribute to your wife, and your life together thus far. Happy anniversary!
Urban Panthers last blog post..Don’t tell me I can’t
happy anniversary, you crazy kids. you should pitch this to mac as a commercial as an alternative to all those douchey mac vs. pc ads. i’ll direct and then you’ll really make a million.
happy anniversary, you crazy kids. you should pitch this to mac as a commercial as an alternative to all those douchey mac vs. pc ads. i’ll direct and then you’ll really make a million.
Happy anniversary! Divorce would be absent from our dictionary if married couples would simply hold hands more. Thanks for sharing.
Happy anniversary! Divorce would be absent from our dictionary if married couples would simply hold hands more. Thanks for sharing.
Absolutely brilliant writing. It’s amazing how a spouse can help you make more important decisions like this work. She sounds like your perfect fit and your best cheerleader indeed. :) Happy Anniversary!
hanks last blog post..My Friend Just Got Offered 290k To Work In Iraq – Would You?
Absolutely brilliant writing. It’s amazing how a spouse can help you make more important decisions like this work. She sounds like your perfect fit and your best cheerleader indeed. :) Happy Anniversary!
hanks last blog post..My Friend Just Got Offered 290k To Work In Iraq – Would You?
Urban Panther: Thank you very much.
Brightboy: I’m a dork. I like the Mac vs. Pc ads. They always make me smile.
Katy: Well said and you’re welcome.
Hank: Brilliant writing? Well, thank you.
Urban Panther: Thank you very much.
Brightboy: I’m a dork. I like the Mac vs. Pc ads. They always make me smile.
Katy: Well said and you’re welcome.
Hank: Brilliant writing? Well, thank you.
Writer Dad,
Holy crap, Man…that was amazing. I am getting married in just a little over a month, and I appreciate you reminding me that the institution of marriage IS a gift from God. I hope that I write something similar in 11 years, 1 month for my beautiful and amazing bride-to-be.
Writer Dad,
Holy crap, Man…that was amazing. I am getting married in just a little over a month, and I appreciate you reminding me that the institution of marriage IS a gift from God. I hope that I write something similar in 11 years, 1 month for my beautiful and amazing bride-to-be.
Wow! Congratulations!
And yay to the MacBook. I’m thinking my next computer with be a MacBook. You have a good way of thinking about it. Maybe I’ll start now with the 2 euros a day savings for it (he says hoping that the current computer will last for another 18 months).
Beautiful post – It reminded me of something my boyfriend said to me one day after receiving a rejection from an agent:
My gustaria saber mas ingles para poder leer tu novela y poder ayudarte… Para mi, eres el mejor escritor!
(I would like to know more English so that I can read your novel and help you – to me, you’re the best writer!)
It made me cry – in such a good way…
Alex Fayles last blog post..Commitment to Growth: Tina Su Interview
Wow! Congratulations!
And yay to the MacBook. I’m thinking my next computer with be a MacBook. You have a good way of thinking about it. Maybe I’ll start now with the 2 euros a day savings for it (he says hoping that the current computer will last for another 18 months).
Beautiful post – It reminded me of something my boyfriend said to me one day after receiving a rejection from an agent:
My gustaria saber mas ingles para poder leer tu novela y poder ayudarte… Para mi, eres el mejor escritor!
(I would like to know more English so that I can read your novel and help you – to me, you’re the best writer!)
It made me cry – in such a good way…
Alex Fayles last blog post..Commitment to Growth: Tina Su Interview
Wow. That was really touching – very nice.
Go make your million, as will I.
-Brett
Wow. That was really touching – very nice.
Go make your million, as will I.
-Brett
What a great love story — the human one, and the Mac one!
Daisy sounds like a very smart woman! Oh, and did I mention that I bought my husband a Mac (desktop) as a gift a few years ago? ;-)
What a great love story — the human one, and the Mac one!
Daisy sounds like a very smart woman! Oh, and did I mention that I bought my husband a Mac (desktop) as a gift a few years ago? ;-)