I spotted this image on This Isn't Happiness about two weeks back, and it really kinda choked me up. Obviously, being a comics geek, I love this depiction of the Dark Knight as a doting dad, but more than that, this illustration -- by Andry Shango -- somehow completely sums up a certain element of fatherhood. There's something about the whimsical way little Batgirl is swinging her book bag that just nails it. The capes and cowls notwithstanding, this image perfectly captures my daily routine of dropping my children off at school.
The Batman analogy is also apt. Despite being the hulking caped crusader, in the company of his little ones, there is a vulnerability to him. Walking this city's streets with my wide-eyed little kids in tow, I can't help but ditch the adapted, swagger n' sneer I might normally affect. As Charlotte and Oliver chirp, giggle and banter happily on the way to the bus stop, I regularly find my eyes darting around, spying for obstacles, impediments or potential threats to their safety. That may sound ridiculous, of course, but there it is.
My youngest graduated from kindergarten this week, and it's left me incredulous. As much as my description of shuttling them around the city might sound stressful, each day that they become more autonomous and less reliant on their parents -- even in tiny increments -- it pounds another little nail into my heart. They are growing up so fast. To my fellow fathers, I tell you to appreciate these moments while they last, and have a happy Father's Day tomorrow.
Speaking of Father's Day, here's a little piece I wrote for The Job about the significance of reading to your children.
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