time certainly does fly, but all the more so when every Daddy grimly observes the ticking clock against the dreaded time his “little girl” lets go of his protective hand.

however, those fears can be reasonably set aside for the moment, because its that magical time of year, again. and, the 7th Annual – My Princess Dance is upon us! it is! so, mark your calendars! guard the date, and fiercely so! Saturday, February 18th at 630pm to 9pm at The Foundry at Puritan Hill. stand firm, goodly men, and register, here.

to be sure, you’ve read earlier stories on this Blog from last year, God gave me daughters. What did He give you?, Its time for a Princess to Dance!, the Princess and the me, and, investing in my daughters.

consider forging a few stories of your own.

I have three Princesses in my immediate family with the girl of my dreams at my side, and two daughters that I’m determined will realize their own.

I coach a good number of princesses in soccer. but, that is different. and, the stuff of other stories. you can always read about those adventures, here. now, I’m also coaching young lads in Lacrosse with the best hopes of influencing them to be gallant around any right Princess. more on all that, to be certain.

Haley Anne and I went to the first “Daddy/ Daughter Dance” six short years ago after a heads-up from Woody Faulk (a father of four girls of his own) let me know he would be hosting this inspiring event. it has quickly became an Atlanta-area tradition. Last year the event was renamed, and aptly so, “My Princess Dance,” and held at the InterContinental Hotel in Buckhead. More than five hundred fathers and daughters came to that My Princess Dance, and they are, and all of them, forever changed. complete with princesses, carriages, chocolate fountains, and a knighting ceremony, the evening was spectacular.

Haley Anne kicked me to the curb after seventh grade and I started taking Emma Jo to the dance. the experience has been brilliant for us all, and I’m keen to share it with any man that understands how important he is in the life of his daughter. I’m convinced this is a vital bond where God really trusts some of us with daughters. the anticipation builds with talks about pretty dresses and an afternoon getting hair and nails done (or, Mommy can certainly do that!). it’s dancing practice and perhaps a special dinner. then come the shared secrets and the memories that enchant a life-time realized in only the span of a few hours that leave us all the more excited about the next year.

the My Princess Dance is all about the importance of family by stopping the busy-ness of life, and spending time with those we love, and cherish, the most.

read more about My Princess Dance in this story, printed by the Atlanta-Journal Constitution: bit.ly/fLhOUt. do it!

and, then watch the video below for a sense of what is yet to come (sorry if it’s bleeding over on this blog page. it’s videos fault, and not mine own – yet, I’ll forgive almost anything that helps me share this wondrous event with you all.

peace be to my Brothers and Sisters.

brian patrick cork

Related posts:

1. It’s time for a Princess to Dance!
2. the Princesses and the me
3. my own enchanted princess
4. investing in my daughters
5. I want to know what Love is
6. God gave me Daughters. What did He give You?
7. Soaring with the Hawks
8. My Daughters and Decisions
9. converging paths
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this post isn’t meant to be news. just some thinking about my Dad whom was neither a football player, nor citizen of San Francisco. just my Dad.

last night the San Francisco 49ers beat the Pittsburg Steelers in unique fashion. a lot of the details are being reported elsewhere, and are in fact, unimportant to me.

but, the 49ers were, improbably, very important to my Dad. he grew up, literally, dirt poor in South Dakota and Nebraska. his path from poverty to that of an elite military officer through the Army Air Corps that became the the Air Force, somehow equated with his views of San Francisco as the epitome of advantage, opportunity and example. I don’t know a lot of the reasoning around that, but I do know that Dad was happy whenever I saw him, there.

and, when Dad was happy his laugh was genuine, and his smile could light up an entire room, and one evening in particular, an entire stadium.

last night the power kept going out at Candlestick Park, and that was bigger news than the 49ers victory even though it’s certainly been too long since they found the play-off’s.

“The Stick” powered-up in 1960, the year I was born, and the 49ers played their first game in that place in 1971. Dad and I were there. he was just back from another tour in Viet Nam.

it should be noted that The Beatles gave their final full concert at Candlestick Park on August 29, 1966. and, inexplicably Dad was there, as well. Dad was something of an enigma, to many. amongst Dad’s favorite songs he firmly counted John Lennon’s Imagine. of course, by way of karma, that song found it’s own light by Lennon’s hand in 1971. I think dad may have viewed himself as a world citizen (a significant part of the songs message). that may explain why he fought so hard for his country and relished the air of San Francisco.

in any event, I spent most of that day nestled under my Dad’s arm while he roared with the crowd. the details of the game were meaningless to me, as were the hot dogs. there was a moment when Dad looked at me and said, “I love this town and this team. Good things are possible here. I sure do love you, son”. although I can’t immediately recall who actually won that particular contest, I can tell you that the 49ers won their second straight divisional title in 1971 with a 9-5 record. they also won their divisional playoff game against the Washington Redskins by a 24-20 final score. I know that because Dad talked about it. and I always listened to my Dad. Dad also loved the Redskins, but mostly, and evidently, because they were associated with Washington, DC. and, Dad was a patriot, albeit not a New England fan.

so… whenever I see the 49ers play, especially at Candlestick Park, I immediately think of Dad and his electric smile.

I love you Dad. I miss you so much. I coach a lot of other guys’ sons in Lacrosse now. it’s all bitter sweet. I try to be a beacon in my own right. I really do. but, thanks for showing me the way and lighting my path. and, you know I’m listening to, Imagine, by John Lennon (for Dad). but, check this out… while I share that particular Lennon’s effort with you all, consider the Imagine cover by Taio Cruz. Dad would have appreciated it. in fact, I would have called him to talk about it. so, I’ll share it with you.

peace be to my Brothers and Sisters.

brian patrick cork

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3. Dan the Man
4. pause for Effect
5. the face of my Father
6. Bat Masterson
7. obama's grandma isn't driving Healthcare
8. I want to know what Love is
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Feel free to indulge yourself with an audio version of this post,  brian cork can run Over the Abyss. click on the link to listen. do it!

so… I found myself being updated around the continuing adventures of Mary Guthries family. I coached two of her daughters in soccer for a couple of years. they taught me a lot. and, like my own daughter, Haley Anne, I’ll likely long consider great days of coaching soccer as being associated with the Guthrie girls, Claire and Grace.

I’ll keep the details of the most recent email exchange with Mary in trust. but, the immediate result would be the following excerpt from that dialogue…

[...]

I am, the eternal optimist.

my own home is under pressure from Satan. I know that sounds dramatic, and it’s meant to be. I don’t know precisely how Satan works because I don’t qualify as as an evangelical Christian. but, in my imagination, this is how dante may have been inspired for the abyss.

but, I always feel like I can prevail and with the balances of forces between good and evil, light and dark, I am a good guy, and thusly hold a tenuous advantage. kind of like the Hal Jordan Green Lantern (my favorite). the ring knows Jordan’s heart is pure, and his greatest test is always his own deeply rooted sense of humanity. that constant test of strength, character and will raises him above many of his brethren, and fuels the awesome power of the ring that is focused against evil.

so Mary, this Fred character makes me think of Sinestro, a Green Lantern arch villain. Or, possibly a Shakespearean villain (actually Sinestro is quite Shakespearean by design, I’m certain, and he is clearly meant to come across as fascist). I’m not prepared to label Fred a “fascist” (mostly because I know hardly anything about him), but he should always offer the courtesy of keeping you in the loop where the kids are involved. but, with that said, I have to believe your daughters approach him with a mix of many feelings, not the least of which is curiosity. but, I would trust them to maintain a level head. you can tell them I expect they’d both to make terrific Green Lanterns.

moods are good. they suggest “feeling” with it’s attachment to life, and change. remind Claire to take a run when she might feel blue. it certainly works for me.

[...]

peace be to my Brothers and Sisters.

brian patrick cork

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1. Brian Cork Miscellaneous
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3. just how deep is the Abyss?
4. another Mary's call to Action
5. The Inspired Adventures of Brian Cork – Story 252
6. I want to know what Love is
7. that Apple and the Tree thing
8. brian cork is not Nehemiah
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the, or any story, of and around Spartacus is epic, albeit not actually Biblical, or historically factual.

and, if you’ve managed to catch: Spartacus – Blood and Sand on STARZ, you know it’s a visual, if not visceral, treat. there was also Spartacus – Gods of the Arena, and soon Spartacus – Vengeance, come January 2012, in the series. but, most shows are memorable, less so for the story, and more so for the charisma of an actor, or ensemble cast.

that was the case for Australian Andy Whitfield.

tragically, Whitfield left us with cancer to blame earlier this month.

oddly, I never met Whitfield. but, I won’t soon forget him. he was fun on Spartacus. but, evidently he was a much larger-than-life hero in the real flesh, and hopefully in the hearts, memories, and mirrors of his beautiful children. but, he has a rare opportunity to leave something behind that transcends grief. read the short story below with gratitude in your heart for an actor of no mean skill and a brilliant example to any parent:

Tragic actor Andy Whitfield’s widow has revealed how her brave husband broke the news he was dying to the couple’s two kids last week.

The Spartacus: Blood and Sand star lost his battle with cancer on 11 September, but had time to say goodbye to his children Jesse Red, six, and Indigo Sky, four.

His widow Vashti tells Australia’s The Telegraph, “(He said)”:

“I am going to go to sleep now as my body won’t work anymore. I am like a butterfly with broken wings… I will always be with you and will always be watching over you. I love you.”

there is that old Muslim maxim that allows: “there is the punishment in the promise, and the promise in the punishment.” to wit…

evidently Whitfields children look so much like him that his wife says:

“They can look in the mirror every day and see their dad.”

thank God my own daughters don’t look like me. but, I hope I can reflect the virtues enough of Whitfield to mirror such sentiment and earn a good memory in their hearts.

peace be to my Brothers and Sisters.

brian patrick cork

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