Day 3

By JohnPaul

You know? Most times when I post things like this I have posters remorse. For those that know me well, I am a raw emotions kind of guy. But when I post… sometimes I feel like I have said to much, or that I come across kind of strange. But then again… that’s just me. Who I am. Brandon, thank you so much for your comments. I avoided checking my blog yesterday out of mild embarrassment. But you kind word have driven me to continue posting with my normal rawness. I hope that we stay in touch. I am just as interested with the misadventures of my friends as I am with posting the misadventures of my own life.

I have to admit… I miss Grayson a lot. Not to say that I don’t miss Serena… but as some of you know, we spent a lot of time apart when we were dating… nothing like three weeks… but being adults, we know that this separation is temporary and for the benefit of our family as a whole. But Grayson? He doesn’t really understand. The nice thing about it is the fact that he can talk on the phone these days. I’ve talked to him every day and heard him say “I miss you dada” and “Love you to dad”. It melts my heart. Yesterday, when Serena asked him if he wanted to say “hi to dada”, he took the phone and simply said “I miss you dada”. That kind of thing from a 2 year old is hard to hear. As we talked he wanted me to come home… but I told him about the new house I was setting up for him. The complex we are at has a playground and a swimming pool… and I told him that when he comes, we are going to swim all day. He started to giggle. Of course, I can’t see what is going on on the other end of the phone, but Serena told me after that Grayson was about to “break down” until I started talking about the swimming pool and playground. I miss him more than anything. Today he took the phone to tell me all about how his went to Chuck E. Cheese. It was a great story… you should have been there.

I know this transition is hard. I know that this new life style is going to be a hard one for Gray to adjust too… but I truly feel that we are doing the right thing. Having spent over 25 years out of my 30 in the same place, I feel honored and fortunate that I will be able to raise my son in a global environment. The world seems like a big scary place sometimes… but as technology becomes more advanced, the world is becoming a much smaller place. This transition might be hard… but in the end it will be great. Great for Grayson. I am excited to see the kind of man he becomes.

Don’t get me wrong though. I love my home. My home will always be Cobb. A place that has given me so much. This change was not an escape… but an opportunity. An opportunity that I would not have had if it wasn’t for where I came from and the sacrifices my family made more me. Those things I will always recognize… and my home I will always miss. But, an adventure I have always craved. And that is when we now have.

-JP

PS: Belgrade, Serbia is our number one choice… say prayers or send out good thoughts… whatever you are into.