When Henry noticed that Deadpool was an unlockable character, we promised each other that we would earn enough bricks to unlock Deadpool and then fight each other as Deadpools. Two Deadpools going at it. To the death. It would have been beautiful.
Fast forward four months. Four months of playing this f*ing game. We’ve unlocked three different Iron Man suits, two Spider-Men, all the villans, and 80% of the good guys. Number of Deadpools unlocked: zero percent.
Four months, man. At the three months mark the game was less about having fun, and more about staying true to the Deadpool covenant.
Every weekend Henry would ask, “can we play video games?”
“no” I’d respond.
“we need to get Deadpool” he’d say.
“Wait till your Mom leaves. We’ll have 15 minutes”
And then it happened. This past weekend while Carrie was out, Henry and I made it to the Bro-heliem level (we’re so close to Deadpool I can smell him). Henry (as Thor) fought gallantly. I (as Loki) defeated numerous villains with my telekinesis. After a long fight, we were able to secure the red brick that in turn earned us the right to collect and play the elusive Deadpool!
After four months Mr. Pool was finally ours.
Jumping on the couch is strictly forbidden in our house. But I made an exception that day. We laughed. We high fived. We hugged. We fought each other as Deadpools. It was beautiful.
Then Daphne handed this note to me. The note that you see in the picture below.
The note still amazes me. Daphne wrote a note that expressed genuine joy and pride in someone else’s accomplishment. A hard thing for most adults to sincerely feel and express, let alone an 8-year-old. There was no sense of irony. It is literally the best fucking congratulatory note I’ve ever received: Original artwork? Yup. Expression of how hard the accomplishment was? Yup. An explanation on how this accomplishment makes her life and everyone’s life better? Yup. And then the f*cking zinger at the end? “I’m so proud of you”. I’m tearing up, Yup.
My mind flashes about how amazingly caring Daphne is and how much empathy she possesses. She became a vegetarian after reading Charlottes Web. She makes notes like the Deadpool one on the regular. She cried and tried to save a bee that I stepped on. She tells old ladies, “I really like your scarf”. In other words, Daphne is easy to make fun of, but she sees and navigates the world with the purest of intentions.
And I know where she gets it.
The Deadpool note is something my wife would do. My wife replaces tide pool creatures exactly where she found them because “you’d hate it if a giant hand just stole you from your house”. She’ll send a quick note because she was thinking of you. She’ll balance 15 bag-less grocery items in her arms thinking it’ll help reverse climate change. In other words, Carrie is easy to make fun of, but she sees and navigates the world with the purest of intentions.
Carrie’s view of the world has rubbed off on our kids. Thank God she’s rubbed off on our kids.
Before Daphne was born I would search the internet for role models for my daughter to emulate. I thought, “I must build a Filipino girl version of Jeopardy champion Ken Jennings”. But after all this time searching for a great role model for my kids, I never realized she was sitting in front of me this whole time.
