(IJCH) THE HAPPIEST PERSON I KNOW - And Why I'm Glad He Didn't Heed My Advice...
(IJCH) THE HAPPIEST PERSON I KNOW - And Why I'm Glad He Didn't Heed My Advice...
IJCH - Inside JaiChai's Head (meaning: My warped, personal opinions and musings)
From the Author
Salutations.
I am JaiChai.
And if I haven't had the pleasure of meeting you before, I'm delighted to make your acquaintance now.
"You're Gon'na What!? Are You Freakin' Crazy?!"
Joel and I have been close friends for over a decade.
He's an intelligent, funny, good-natured, and amazingly patient human being.
Joel ran a golf Pro Shop at an elite Hawaiian golf course for a few years. Then he tended bar at the Bellagio (Las Vegas) until retirement.
Finally, he came to the Philippines, met and married a Filipina and has been an ex-pat in my small city ever since.
He's also my neighbor. In fact, his house is a mere dozen steps away from mine.
The rough times of our lives when we've helped each other out are far too numerous (and bizarre) to mention.
A few years ago, while doing our "Coffee Talk with Joel and JaiChai" morning ritual on the porch outside of his kitchen, he told me that he was thinking about taking in a sickly baby that a poor in-law could not possibly care for.
My immediate response was, "Are you nuts?! You're over 60 and never had children before. I've had many and let me tell ya, it's no cakewalk, my friend! And what about your young wife? Does she know the magnitude of responsibility involved? Does she know that she'll basically be grounded for the next 18-21 years?"
"Yeah. We talked it over and she wants the baby too. Besides, if I don't take her in, it's tantamount to a death sentence for the child," Joel said, his eyes already misting.
"You've already made up your mind, haven't you?"
Joel nodded.
(Heavy Sigh)
That's when I could hear a baby crying and I saw Joel's wife (Angie) cradling the baby in her arms in the kitchen.
A few minutes later, I went inside Joel's house to refill my coffee mug and saw Angie and this tiny little baby.
And Angie was simply glowing with joy.
Patting my friend on the shoulder, I said, "Ok, amigo. The die is cast. You know where to find me if you got any new Daddy questions."
I Could Not Have Been More Wrong!
Joel immersed himself in Daddyhood.
Everyday, he learned as much as he could from online resources. And he picked my brain for any "Daddy Tips" during our "Coffee Talk" sessions.
I must admit.
In spite of my initial reservations, Joel has been fine - more than fine, he's more ecstatic over his baby girl (Daniella) each and everyday.
Ever since Joel took Daniella into his and his wife's lives, I have never seen them happier.
And I am glad that Joel never heeded my advice and went forward with his decision to care for and raise Daniella as his own daughter.
Daniella - An Amazing, Intelligent, and Beautiful Youngster
To Daniella, I'm simply "Uncle J.C." - the guy that her Dad has coffee with in the morning (and sometimes drinks beer with in the evening).
Over the years, I have seen Daniella grow up healthy and strong.
It's almost impossible to picture her as the tiny, sickly baby that Joel and Angie took into their lives and hearts.
Naturally, I am rather protective of my little niece.
In fact, I'll be cleaning my guns and sharpening my K-Bar on Joel's porch when Daniella brings her first boyfriend to "meet the family"!
Joel - The Happiest Person I Know
A couple years ago, I told Joel that I admired his perpetually positive demeanor and that he's the happiest person I've ever known.
He admitted to me it was because of his daughter.
Until that day, I never knew that Joel had been praying for a daughter well before Daniella arrived in his life...
By JaiChai
Thanks for stopping by.
About the Author
He is a retired U.S. Military veteran. Believing that school was too boring, he dropped out of High School early; only to earn an AA, BS and MBA in less than 4 years much later in life – while working full-time as a Navy/Marine Corps Medic.
In spite of a fear of heights and deep water, he freefall parachuted out of airplanes and performed diving ops in very deep, open ocean water.
He spends his days on an island paradise with his teenage daughter, longtime girlfriend and three dogs.
If you enjoyed my post, kindly: Upvote, Follow, Comment and Resteem.
This post has received a 0.03 % upvote from @drotto thanks to: @banjo.
what a wonderful story you told. Your "niece" is adorable. And her happy father obviously made the right choice. It is good not to be right, sometimes, no? :)
@erh.germany,
Sautations! Glad to see you!
How are you, my friend?
Thanks so much for dropping by and of course, your kind praise.
Namaste,
JaiChai
Being rich is almost never about money right?
I agree.
To me, it means having more than enough to help others.
Namaste, amigo.
JaiChai
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