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To live and enjoy every day to its fullest, use my gifts to help others, I travel to wherever passion finds me.

What Will She Paint?

So many friends I met here...!

Friday, June 18, 2010

FATHERS DAY

  Father and child, graphite, St. Germain

This is a sketch from my sketchbook. In the Netherlands  drawing without (a )model(s) is more of a common practice than here (USA), so I've heard. This one has a specific meaning though.

On Fathers Day 7 am hubby brought me to the hospital, and that day our only son, and youngest (now adult child) was born. Even though they may look like each other in build and height, they could not be two more different people in character!
Hubby is the typical reserved, rational, responsible, steady going,  and stoic Western European male. His son is vocal in sharing his opinion, very sensitive to his' and others' emotions, utterly artistic, and lives like life is to play.
You can guess who stands between the two, to explain the behavior of one to the other!  That does not mean I am the peace maker though. That they have to do themselves. But oh boy, it does pay to be a psychologist, even if it was only to resolve family matters.

They do have some things in common though. They are not the all-American jovial "buddy" type, ice hockey is about the only sports they like to watch, both are very good observers, like to hike and they love travel.
I am proud of both of them that they have managed to become close. It has taken years of hard work, and most of that came after son's teen years. Now,  I can truly say that the son is a gift to the father.

7 comments:

I_am_Tulsa said...

what a lovely post and sketch! thank you for stopping by my blog too...(I often forget that I am a "foreigner" and things like visas and passports always remind me...)

The Weaver of Grass said...

Ah yes - women were ever the peacemakers.

Unknown said...

I understand it all very well, it took years for my Dad and I to become close and it was work on my part. I did not understand his European manner for many years and when i did and accepted it, it was all okay.

Clytie said...

Amazing - the emotions you caught with just a few strokes of graphite. And the memories you have of your now grown son and his father ... who could ask for more?

Irene said...

Lovely post, Jeanette. Sons can be much more like their mothers.

NitWit1 said...

Lovely observation and tribute for Father's Day.

Jeannette StG said...

I am Tulsa,
Living in another country is most part of the time exhilarating, but at times it can be a pain!

Weaver,
I have a female friend who has the view that "if women would reign the world, there would be no war." Don't know if that is true, but many of them are good in smoothing out things between people.

Joey,
Oh wow, our son could shake your hand on this! Accepting another culture, takes letting go of some of our own views about life, doesn't it?.

Clytie,
Thank you! It takes practice, though:) Yes, I consider myself blessed!

Irene,
Thank you, Friend! Yes, sometimes sons do, surprisingly:)

Nitwit,
Thank you, this was an observation that that cost much work :)