You asked (over on Facebook) for the famous Mir’s Dad to come and write so, while my lovely bride (oh, hey – this is Otto tapping at you now) is off getting lovelier, he was ordered to hunt and peck his way through writer’s block (hard, when you’re an architect by trade and nature, to problem solve in your kid’s realm) and create the following missive.
So, some rules:
- We love Mir’s dad. He’s awesome. You must agree to this before clicking through to his post.
- No nasty comments or he’ll leave mean ones on your blog.
- The chances of him registering “mirsdad.com” are pretty slim, but you can ask.
- He has kids already and, while he’s sure you’re a perfectly nice person, probably won’t adopt you. Sorry.
That’s it, click on through to read …
OK. So my daughter has now provided me with the opportunity for fame. Rather than just commenting vicariously on her writings, I have been conscripted to speak my own mind. if I have one. This post isn’t going to be much more than an expanded comment. It just happens to be spawned by your encouraged popular demand rather than one of her posts. I hope it doesn’t embarrass her. I promise to be brief but cogent.
Honestly, I feel like a comedian who has just been introduced to a huge, thundering crowd, bounds triumphantly onto the stage and suddenly realizes he is not funny. To someone who has an unnaturally low threshold for “fear of failure†this is more than angst. This is family terrorism!
So let me tell you some other things I feel about Mir. Her life is complicated but she seems to keep a lot of balls in the air at the same time although she often complains about the effects of gravity. I admire the fact that she is bright, sensitive, almost completely unencumbered in her willingness to say what she means and has a remarkable ability to do so. She is demanding, both of herself and others. She is loving, sarcastic, funny, and did I say loving? She is intense. Oddly, with the exception of “loving,†at times those are the same qualities that are sometimes hard to handle. They create problems for her. It’s all about balance which is difficult. I’m sort of a low key person so sometimes I marvel at how different we are and struggle to try and find a way to make her life easier. That’s what dad’s are supposed to do.
Whether she realizes it or not, the apple has not fallen far from the tree and it is definitely rolling up hill.
Awww, the love and pride you have for her shows through, every word.
Mir’s Dad, I think your daughter is pretty awesome too. You have done an excellent job in contributing to her awesomesauce-ness. Kudos, sir!
Mir’s Dad! Mir’s Dad! Mir’s Dad! (TC holds up a lighter…) Encore!
I don’t have a blog, so I COULD be mean . . but I have no reason to be! Thank you, Mir’s dad, for helping to create The Pretty One, she is often a spot of brightness in my day.
Great to hear from you, Mir’s Dad! I hope you know how much we value and enjoy your comments on this blog – and it’s fun to hear a parent reflect on the similarities and differences between themselves and their kids. We don’t tend to fall too far from the tree, do we?
{{{{{Mir’s Dad}}}}}
Mir’s dad, thanks so much for writing this! I love reading it, and I’m sure Mir does, too!
I always enjoy seeing your comments on Mir’s posts. Your love and support for her and her family shine through – as they do in this post. Feel free to guest post anytime.
Your love of, and support for your daughter are palpable in every comment you make – it’s nice to see them displayed in ‘expanded comment’ form as well!
Oh, and I think the metaphorical comedian is funny!
Well done, Mir’s dad. We heart her too.
And hey, Otto, thanks for making this happen!
Whoa. I went to get my hair done and came back to this. I had to check to make sure I’m still alive—reads a little like a eulogy, Dad. (“She was busy, and difficult, but we liked her anyway….”)
Regardless, I’m still the president of your fan club. ;)
Love Mir! Live Mir’s dad. Great start to the weekend
Thank you for this!
hooray for mir’s dad! thank you for posting. :)
Yaaaaaay, Mir’s dad!!! I *always* scroll through the comments to see what you’ve posted. Your support and love for her are clearly unwavering, and it’s inspiring.
Have fun spoiling the grandkids this weekend!!
*sniff. this is so sweet
I especially love the ‘rolling uphill’ part. Such modesty and grace under pressure!
I’m another one who appreciates Mir’s writing, then immediately scrolls through the comments to find Dad’s.
Thanks for writing!
Love it Mir’s Dad. I imagine it would be intimidating to step on Mir’s stage, but you did an excellent job. I love hearing your constant words of support on her posts.
Hopefully you’ll return again soon!
Mir,
What I wouldn’t give to have a dad like yours that appreciates your many talents and tries to adapt at all costs. You are a lucky woman. He is a lucky Dad. This made me want to sit around the campfire and sing Kumbaya.
Nice, Mir’s Dad.
Awww – love the post! Thanks Mir’s dad!
Y’all are so cute! I love to hear about great dads. My dad is great too, and I wish I had a forum to make him famous like Mir’s! Go dads!
So sweet!
This is wonderful. Thank you Mir’s Dad. We really do need to hear those words from our Dads even when we theoretically already “know” them. Thanks for posting!
Awwwwwww, that’s unbelievably sweet and adorable. You guys are lucky to have one another as family. :D
I was gonna say “I can’t wait to see what Mir writes on your post” but I can see she beat me to it. Hmph.
So cute! We do love Mir’s Dad!
Son nice to hear from Mir’s Dad……. Such love. I don’t have a blog either but no thoughts on being mean. We heart her
Yay Mir’s Dad! Have a great visit with your amazing daughter. Tell her she’s pretty for me, would you? :)
Heh very nice! We all love your sarcastic funny loving self, too, Mir ;-)
I think Mir’s dad should be a regular guest author. We all feel like we know him anyway.
I second the request for Mir’s Dad to be a regular on the blog. Love him!
Well said, Mir’s dad! Thank you for guest posting! That was fun, let’s do it again :D
YOU SCARED ME! I THOUGHT SOMETHING HAD GONE HORRIBLY WRONG! (“Ohmigosh, Otto and Mir’s dad are posting? WHAT’S WRONG? WHERE’s MIR?!?!?”) (sigh of relief)
Happy Love Friday, Mir’s Dad!
You’re almost as nice as my own dad (and I brag on him and put him at the top only because I never thought I would see the day that my near 80 year old dad would be as openly demonstrative of his love for my children as he is. His “I love you’s” to them are the greatest gifts he ever gave me!).
Oh yeah, we’re talking about someone besides me… Mir, you’ve got a great dad, too!
We love everything about Mir, and her daddy is no exception!
Mir’s Dad – you were great! I love your expressions for your daughter. She is great ~
Mir’s Dad, you rock!
Great dads are the best gift we can be given as children.
Hooray for Mir’s Dad! That was beautiful. We love her too!
LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!!
It’s like Christmas, Easter and my birthday all rolled into one! Thank you, Mir’s Dad! I think Mir should publish a post just of your comments to make us all feel good.
Mir’s Dad for President!!
Oh wait, I don’t think I’d wish that job on anyone.
Nevermind.
Mir’s dad, you rock. Can we have a recurring Mir’s Dad feature?!
So, so great. But, Mir’s comment was even greater :)
*sniffle* I miss my daaaaaaaaaaaaadyyyyyyyyyyyy!
:) He’s a great one just like Mir’s daaaaaaaadyyyyy.
I’m impressed, Mir’s Dad! I think you are lucky to have each other
Awwwww, that’s very sweet but I have to agree with Mir, alittle like a eulogy but very, very sweet!
You really are a lovely family. Whatever life throws at you, I think that together, you will be able to deal with anything. Mir’s Dad, you have a great daughter.
Dear Mir’s Dad… Otto has already warned us that you are not planning on adopting any more children. I’m not above begging…..
Wow, a “Love Thursday” post on Friday (like #35 said). Awesome!
Thanks, “Dad”.
Heh. Bet that’s the last time Mir leaves her keyboard unattended. Well done, Mir’s Dad, well done.
P.S. You have good genes. Just sayin’.
Dear MIR’s Dad,
You ROCK!
The end.
Wouldn’t it be great if we did get to hear our own euology once in a while? Why wait until someone is departed to shower them with admiration and affection?
Well done, Mir’s dad. Have a lovely visit!
Awww, a post worth waiting for. Way to go Mir’s Dad.
It warms my heart to see fathers who care for and about their daughters. This made me smile today, and I thank you for it. Mir’s Dad, you are a prince among men!
Hahahaha, Mir, your blog’s been hijacked by some two guys! They’re pretty cool dudes, though, so it’s okay.
Thank you Kind Sir (Mir’s Dad) for the thoughtful words. Perhaps you shall be sharing again at a future time?
So good to hear from you, Mir’s Dad!!! I always look for the comments you post… sure is nice to meet you!!!
I can see where Mir gets her wonderful parenting skills from.
Mir, I’ve been reading your blog since it was Yahoo’s Pick of the Day some several years ago…and, although there have been many, many wonderful, heartwarming (almost wrote “heartworming” Ooops) and thoughtful posts, I have to tell you that all of them have been upstaged by this one. I can definitely see where you get your talent and thoughtfulness.
Home run, Mir’s Daddy, please step up to the plate again soon. And you raised a lovely daughter besides.
lovely, Mir’s Dad – just lovely *clapping*
“I feel like a comedian who has just been introduced to a huge, thundering crowd, bounds triumphantly onto the stage and suddenly realizes he is not funny. ” This is my new favorite quote, hands down.
Dear Mir’s Dad,
You must be a wonderful person, because you gave us Mir.
Sincerely,
Cele
Ps, thanks for sharing, I know where Mir gets it from.
Dear Mir’s Dad,
You said you wouldn’t adopt me, but that doesn’t mean I can’t adopt you. In what state would I need to find an attorney?
Sincerely,
Elizabeth
I’m with Laura (who wanted you to run for office)… I could get behind a candidate who promised “brief but cogent” campaign speeches! Well said, sir. :)
Great Dads are the best! You have one Mir, I had one, my daughter has one. Three cheers for great Dads!!!!!!!!!!!
Aw. This made me get all teary because, as always, it is all about me. My dad passed away at 92 last year and wasn’t much for words, unless he was telling stories. He never told me how he felt about me, and while I am positive of his love and that he regarded me well, it still would have been nice to hear it or have him write it down. This is a gift you have given Mir, and I’m glad she got to have you do it.
Thanks for making such a good daughter.
Bawling…..you know—“good tears.” I had a great dad too, whose support was endless. What a precious gift. Thanks, Mir’s Dad, for contributing mightily to Mir’s awesomeness. Love Mir. Love Mir’s Dad.
:-)
So beautiful and you are so lucky to have each other. I am lamenting over the loss of my own father as you are so lucky to have each other. Mine is still alive, but his mind is not in tact and our relationship will never be the same again. Don’t take each other for granted.
Love this.
One of the things I really like about your relationship is how well you both seem to articulate your love for each other.
i love it!
I think a Mir’s Dad Question and Answer Session would be the logical next step………
Ooh, yes, Mir’s Dad Q & A is a GREAT idea!
BTW, Mir’s Dad, there was very little chance you were going to bomb with THIS crowd. To say you’ve got some built-in goodwill would be a gross understatement.
Wow Mir’s Dad you are amazing, I swear you nearly always make me cry with your lovely words on this blog. Wanna come to Ireland and share a few parenting tips ?? I’ll feed and water you!!
Encore! Superlative writing and humor.
What a lovely treat. Thank you!