Going to Target on a random evening is hardly the melting pot for inspiration on a blog post. Something about aisle after aisle of toasters, button down shirts, and built-your-own dinette sets I guess. But there is a first for everything.
For instance, I was in Target last week with my two sons, Joey age 13, and his little brother Aaron age 8. For Valentines Day, their Grandma Mayernik had sent each one of our three children a valentine with her signature 2 dollar bill inside. This two dollar bill put Joey over the edge on a DS game that he had been saving up for weeks. So into Target we strolled. Joey smiling ear to ear. Beaming with success of a job well saved. And as the Target employee ceremoniously turned the key on the game case I heard Joey utter an “Uh Oh”. As he looked through his folded up money he just pulled from his pocket. “Oh shoot,” he muttered again. Now he has the attention of his little brother Aaron. “What’s going on Joe?” he questioned. Joey turned to me and said “I don’t think I have enough to cover the tax.” Well I asked him “How much do you need? Do the math and let me know how much will be short.” So I watched Joey as he figured out in his head how much he needed. I could tell he was taking the price of the game multiplying that number and then adding the total all the while his head was bobbing from side to side. Aaron looked on with concern. He knew how long Joey had been saving for this game. “Shoot” Joey responded to me, defeated, he said “I need another $2.39”. Without missing a beat Aaron pulled from his pocket his “Grandma Mayernik 2 dollar bill” he had gotten that afternoon and another dollar he just happen to have in his pocket. Aaron handed Joey his 3 dollars and said with bold confidence, “Here Joey now you have enough for your game”. I thought to myself, “Wow…what kind of a guy tears up in Target, and in the electronic section no less?” A dad that’s proud of his kids. That’s who.

Happy Valentines Day.