Author: Family Friendly Daddy Blog

Leave a comment Posted on fatherhood, parenting, People, Storytelling, Uncategorized

Aspiring to Live Quietly… in Alabama

Back nearly a year ago when our family first started considering moving to Alabama, I was completely unaware of the concept of “living quietly”.

Now that we have transitioned here for over the past month (and are apparently moving into our own house this weekend?), it has become apparent to me that we instinctively were inspired to move from the Nashville area to my Appalachian hometown, so that we could indeed… live quietly.

Here in Alabama, a weekend feels like 5 days; compared to in Nashville, it felt like a hurried afternoon.

There is much less “running around”. There is time to think. There is room to move.

Opportunities for real conversations present themselves more organically.

This is why we moved here. Life already seems more peaceful.

So while it could easily be argued whether my own personality would, in theory, actually allow me to live a “quiet” life, I definitely appreciate the idea now; which I have since learned is not a new concept.

Instead, it’s an ancient one- that is even referenced in the Bible, in 1 Thessalonians:

“Make it your ambition to live a quiet life.”

Sure, don’t mind if I do…

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Dear Jack: Your Drawing of Monkey Baby Bon Bon

13 years, 7 months.

Dear Jack,

This past month or so has certainly been a blur, but somewhere between your last day of 7th grade and our move to Alabama, I came across a drawing you did of a monkey wearing a diaper and a Superman t-shirt. I took a picture of your drawing and then I completely forgot about it.

You have always been creative, so I just figured it was a random character you created for an assignment in your art class.

A few weeks after discovering your drawing, you happened to introduce our family to Monkey Baby Bon Bon, a YouTube star.

So now I understand you did not create this character of a baby monkey in a diaper and a Superman t-shirt.

But it totally seems like something you would think of yourself!

 

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Holly: Your Fancy Cleaning Shoes

8 years, 2 months.

Dear Holly,

As our family is apparently just days away from finally moving into our house in Alabama that we have been renovating since March, you have been finding ways to help us prepare for the move.

That includes tidying up our current living space at Nonna and Papa’s house.

Nonna sent me a picture of you cleaning the floors in one of the rooms. I suppose you were being quite thoughtful and considerate, as you apparently invented some special shoes out of Ziploc bags; to prevent your feet from getting the floor dirty again.

Thank you for doing your part!

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Holly: Learning Secret Family Recipes from Nonna

8 years, 1 months.

Dear Holly,

One of the reasons we moved here to Alabama was to make more memories with family, as opposed to just waiting for the holidays or the rushed weekends trips from Nashville to see them.

This week, I loved being able to observe Nonna teaching you her secret family recipes, as she taught you the way her Mexican side of the family made empanadas and the way her Italian side of the family made calzones.

You were all in! You loved being able to help Nonna help cook dinner for us.

It is moments like this that say so much about our new life here in Alabama.

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: Trying to Sell Your SWAG from the Braves Game

13 years, 7 months.

Dear Jack,

Last Friday we had so much fun going to Atlanta to the Braves game with the church. You got to ride shotgun in the bus on the way there and back.

We got there a little bit early and were rewarded by being given a free Braves cowboy hat.

After the game ended and we were walking back to the parking lot, some girls approached you. They asked how much you wanted for the hats that they assumed you were selling.

I was so proud as you negotiated a price with them. You were all business. Unfortunately, they didn’t have cash; nor did I have Cash App or Venmo.

And since we were with a group, we didn’t really have time to figure that out as we had to keep moving.

But hey, if they would have had cash, you could have made some easy money!

Love,

Daddy