Always close to you my son Always close to you my sonThat's where I wanna beAlways close to you my sonForever the best day for me. Always close to you my sonYou've given me new meaningAlways close to you my sonYour presence keeps life humming. Always close to you my sonThough soon you'll need your … Continue reading My Monday Metrical Musings #60
Below's a love letter from a devoted father to his son. It is the second guest post on my blog (do click here for the first). This is a deeply personal piece from someone I got to know while touring Israel at the end of 2018. I feel deeply humbled and honored he's allowed me … Continue reading A letter to Seamus — “Son, daddy will be ok.”
Hey J my precious son, Since my first post about it, I'm getting both excited and nervous as I start planning our December staycay. Truth is, I've never in a million years thought I would be undertaking such an ambitious project -- to take us away for a father-son bonding retreat. Just us two. To … Continue reading Father-son bonding #2 — Rites of Passage
On World Children's Day, let me share about a recent poolside encounter. A couple of weeks ago, I overheard an interesting conversation between a male who looked to be in his late 50's and a young boy about my son's age of 12. The exchange took place at a neighbourhood pool where I go for … Continue reading On World Children’s Day – How a poolside encounter reminded me what truly counts
What a difference a year makes to International Men's Day (IMD)! For those not in the know (and I'm guessing that's most of us!), there really is such a thing as an annual IMD, and it's happening in two days' time on Nov 19. A year ago, I wrote about IMD. At that time, I … Continue reading IMD 2021 — Towards better gender relationships
Dear J my precious boy First off, I'm sorry. I had no idea you felt so much vitriol now for the violin. Recently, when we broached the topic of you returning to violin lessons after a long break (to prepare for your PSLE), your almost knee-jerk reaction and rejection of the idea threw your mom … Continue reading My Violin Virtuoso — From Verve to Vitriol
Hey J my precious son, First and foremost, CONGRATULATIONS! After six long years of primary school education, you're finally done with that Holy Grail of a gruelling national examination (the PSLE or Primary School Leaving Examinations). That which forever decides which secondary school you'll go to next year. Of course it's only the first of … Continue reading Father-son bonding #1 — “Now that exams are done, …”
Former US President Theodore Roosevelt said the best foreign policy was "speak softly and carry a big stick." Talk about a succinct way to define realpolitik and gunboat diplomacy! I often find that to be true too when it comes to home based learning (HBL) with my son C; at least when it comes to … Continue reading How home-based learning is like “realpolitik”!
On Father’s Day 2021, my musings on the losses and gains of being a stay home dad {A version of this post first appeared here in a local news publication Todayonline. Also, check out a reader's beautifully written and resonating response to my piece here.}When it comes to parenting, one truth remains today: Fathers are, … Continue reading ‘Worth in the Hearth’ — A New Masculine Identity?
Hey boys This is it! We made it. The last email, in this long-running series that began more than six months ago, is finally here. So on the count of three, let's heave a collective sigh of relief shall we? One... Two... Three!!! Sighhhhhh.... Alright, now that we got that outta the way, let's recap … Continue reading Email circa 2031: My dear sons, beware “The Toxic 12” – #12 The PR Snobs
