February 8th: Pay day

Tonight was a rare treat.  My sons are both performing in separate shows at the Denver Centre for the Performing Arts.  One plays Warner in the national touring company of Legally Blonde, The Musical and the other plays the part of  The Capitalist in the world premiere of a play entitled When Tang Met Laika.  Before the show we met for dinner at Ted’s Montana Grille on 14th and Larimer.  Everything tasted great and being together with my boys was a joy unique to fatherhood.  Being barely 15 months apart in age I’m so glad they didn’t kill each other growing up because they’ve grown to become such terrific friends now.   What they each bring to their brotherhood is what their sibling needs and it’s wonderful to see them cheering each other on both professionally and personally.

For some reason, what really got to me tonight, was when the waiter brought the check and my son said, “Dad, let me get this.”   Now it’s probably true that any Scotsman would find happiness in someone else picking up the check,  but this was different.  A different kind of happy.  Even though I thought about being the dad and paying for dinner I’m glad I stopped myself.  I was glad he had a job and glad we were all together and glad he wanted to give us this gift.

In the circle of life there are times we’re either on the gravy train OR we’re paying for the platinum plan.  We’re either taking someone out or happy we were invited. Either subsidizing a dream or grateful for the scholarship.  Tonight was my chance to be on the receiving side of a thoughtful gift and the circumstance were particularly sweet.  As we were leaving the restaurant I said Thank You to my son for dinner he said, No, Dad, Thank YOU!!!

I don’t work on wall street and didn’t get any of those huge bonuses we hear about on the news.  But I wouldn’t trade my pay day for any of theirs.