Diapers and Depends - My Saturday Target Run

A few weeks ago I commented to a friend of mine that if you want to feel really, really old and extremely young, all in the same breath, try being a new pappy at nearly 42-years-old.

I took Baby Fischer to Target with me today, arriving at the crack of 8:03, only to stand outside the door until the redshirts unlocked the doors to greet us at 8:05, a full five minutes behind schedule. Normally I wouldn't complain too loudly, however the temperature outside was already 81-degrees and I had little patience for poor customer service so early in the morning. I'll save that for my next airline flight.

We went to Target because we needed diapers, although truth be told I wanted to give Mrs. Fischer a quiet break and enjoy some solid time with the little dude. It was like catching lightning in a bottle.

Saturday morning meant that my Blackberry was resting and my job was far from my mind. I actually felt relaxed for the first time in several weeks (months?).

I told baby Fischer about his brothers baseball game back in Minnesota, and how he caught a high fly ball hit by "Home Run Sam" (the Babe Ruth of the Plymouth/Wayzata youth baseball league), went 2-for-3 and knocked in a pair of runs in his teams victory last Sunday.

Baby Fischer smiled.

I then told him that his sister completed grade 7 with straight A's and finished her school year by being named "Student of the Month" for May. Also, she was going to be leaving town soon to visit family and friends in Minnesota and Maine, so we wouldn't be seeing her much until early August. I'm really going to miss her.

Baby Fischer smiled again.

My phone rang and the caller i.d. told me that it was my mother-in-law, which is one call that I, by strict rule, never ignore. She was unable to reach my wife so she called me to inform me that her mother-in-law had died early this morning. I expressed my condolences and hung up the phone.

Baby Fischer was still smiling.

I turned down the isle that stocked health care products for the elderly and noticed a large pack of Depends (adult diapers), placed conveniently at eye level. For fear of sounding mellow-dramatic, I will attempt to understate the brief moment of perfect introspection I enjoyed right then about family, friends, love, faith, life, death and the absolute spirited resiliency of our human soul. I am so grateful for it all.

Okay, that was really mellow-dramatic after all. My apologies.

Baby Fischer smiled the whole time.

And now, so do I.