A Letter to the Boyfriend from Daddy-O
A close college friend of mine had a daughter twenty something years ago. A beautiful, kind girl that we’ve watched grow into a mature, fun & wickedly smart woman. She’s been dating a guy for several years and the following is a note for him:
Dear Boyfriend,
Your girlfriend is the first baby I had ever held. At that second, I knew what it was to immediately love someone that I had never known before. Her birth made me want to be a Dad at a time in my life when my drinking buddies were worth their weight in gold.
When her Mom decided to leave her Dad, before her daughter knew her ABCs, it was the two of them from then on. Her mom HAD to be strong. There was no other option.
Whether you’re holding her hand or telling her it’s over (yet again), realize that everyone’s got a little something that they’d like to fix for various reasons…even you.
I’m in my mid 40’s and I’m far from having it all figured out. So, in your twenties, if you don’t have life figured out, that’s okay. That’s what your twenties are for.
If you are dating someone and it’s not working out (especially after you try for some time and you know that she’s not the one), do everyone a favor and politely call it a day. Move on. That’s one of the perks in western civilization of not having arranged marriages. We have a choice. We don’t have to remain in relationships that clearly don’t work.
Should texting be the only way you can express your true feelings, it might behoove you to see someone about that…and I’m not talking about someone at the Genius Bar. As a fellow guy, I understand not vocalizing your feelings, but I do know that it is imperative for me to connect with people via something much warmer than a mobile device.
In short, if you can’t go a day without her, if you see things throughout your day that consistently remind you of her or if it’s simply a given that she’s WHOLE and GOOD and good for you, roll up those sleeves and make it work. If you don’t, just let her go.
Please.
~Daddy-O
About DADDY-O: Greg Santomero (aka DaddyO) is first and foremost a Dad of two creative and spirited girls. He is married to children’s media creator, Angela Santomero (Blue’s Clues, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Super Why!, etc.).
An award winning, innovative designer/creative director, Greg is responsible for the visual look of NBC’s Olympic Games, The Super Bowl, The French Open and Wimbledon. Greg’s work has garnered him several Emmy, Broadcast Design and Promax Awards.
After leaving NBC, Greg began Santo Studios Design, a boutique design studio specializing in all forms of visual communication and branding utilizing live action, 2D & 3D for interactive, web, film, tv and print.
Follow Greg on Twitter , Google+ or at Dad’s Clues on Angela’s blog.
This post was written by Greg Santomero exclusively for BonBon Break Media, llc
#BonbonBreak
