It has been a busy, but difficult day for me.  I have plenty of energy, but there are just times I get emotionally drained and today has been one of them. And just like anyone else in that state, people around you can either help or make it worse, so when Amanda suggested we head to Panera (as she had a gift card) for dinner, I worried in my condition which way things would head.

But we Tirmans are creatures of routine at places like this.  As I generally have a set in stone, never changing menu order anywhere we go (yes, I just like what I like and stay with it) Ben and I go to get a table (tonight a booth) and wait for Amanda to order and come to where we are sitting. When we are in a booth, she must make a choice as to WHO she sits with, and oddly enough it took me until tonight to realize that she has not ever chosen to sit with me, but instead with our little snake, I mean son.

But as we sat down to wait for her I felt for my phone and as Ben saw me do it he asked if he could use it to play some games. He has his own iPad for a reason, because he is good at goofing up my phone, so I did what any other experienced dad would do, I said “no, because I want to take your picture instead.”  He was not too thrilled by my answer, but “seemed” to comply by not posing as you can see above.  But tonight has been a night of revelation for me as I not only discovered my wife always sits by him, but that we are actually the parents of the real life Derek Zoolander.  And oddly enough, in that one moment, my life made a lot of sense.

You know hard days come, but they also go.  I often wish I was 6 again and could wash everything I deal with away with an iPad game or my imagination…..at 52 I can’t.  But what I can do is marvel at the world God has me walking in and laugh at it and myself.  I can recover from difficult days like today and focus on the real important work of life.

Like the reality that there is some poor girl with Ben “Zoolander” Tirman’s name upon her soul as her husband one day…..and for that young lady I need to pray.  She is gonna need it.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+