Af-flu-en-za [af-floo-en–zuh] -noun. 1. The affectation of over-affluence on western culture, typified by over-indulgence in North America et al. 2. What happens when you simply have too much stuff.
A friend of mine recently said that one of our biggest problems in Western society is that we suffer from ‘Affluenza’. And as I was scrambling to find a father’s day gift, it hit me that she was absolutely right. It’s not about giving the latest gadget, or the hippest video game or having the coolest tie, it’s about spending time together and telling that person you think they’re special and that you love them.
Oddly enoug
h, you know who agrees with me? Fellow Canuk, actor and reality TV star Dean McDermott. He was in town helping to celebrate Pampers 50th birthday (“I have used a lot of them & with another baby on the way, safe to say I’ll be using a lot more…”) and when asked what he wanted for Father’s Day, he said “you know what I would love? An absolutely quiet day, maybe by the pool, just with the kids and Tori, just hanging out and doing nothing. That would be a good Father’s Day.”
My husband, of course, took offence to this. “What the hell does he do on a regular basis? Isn’t that what he does every day?” I reminded him that he was an actor too, and that seemed to quiet him down. For a while.
Meanwhile, our son and I had the joy of being invited by Two Moms to learn how to make challah. This traditional Jewish egg bread is an absolute favourite in our household. I bake a lot, but I’d never made full-blown bread. The numerous steps involved seemed absolutely daunting on paper. Turns out, it’s actually not that hard. What I love about baking is that kids can show their creativity. They can chose what goes in (chocolate, cinnamon, currents, cheese) and how it’s made (rolled, braided, or turned into Disney characters). My son was in charge of the flour, adding chocolate and helping me braid the breads, and there was something so wonderful in sharing that experience and then being able to eat it afterwards.
So that’s what my husband and father are getting this year. Just like my kids draw pictures and make crafts to show they care, I’ll be unplugging from all the techno-gadjets, putting my cameras down and my computer aside, and I’ll be baking bread.
And while I’m waiting for the yeast to rise, I might peek though some of the pictures I took of that other hot Canadian dad who happens to be an actor…
I’m with Gill … I don’t want to see the likes of Dean McDermott, he’s an idiot. The way he went about abandoning his family for Tori, just days after adopting a baby boy, and allowing Tori her verbal diahrrea in the press about Mary Jo was shameful. Tori’s just as much of an idiot. Whether or not we know what happens behind closed doors is irrelevant — he did something VERY wrong, then stood back and let Tori be horrible, rude, snide and just plain bitchy in interviews towards Mary Jo, and his kids (ALL of them) will be able to read all about it, thanks to the internet and that nothing ever disappears because of it.
I’m stunned that a site devoted to Canadian MOMS would feature a man who shredded his wife so publicly — SHE is a mom. Let’s not give publicity to someone who did that so flippantly. It’s like featuring Hugh Hefner in an article about being a faithful husband.
Cripes.
I knew about that. But, you never know what’s going on inside another person’s marriage, so it’s kinda unfair to judge if you weren’t actually there.
I love challah too, though I’ve never baked one – it makes the most excellent French toast in the world. (Man, now I want some…)
Good post – nice pics too, Racheal!!
What people maybe unaware of is that his so called Celebrity DAD left a very young son in Toronto when he decided to find another wife and move further into the limelight. Not sure how suitable he is to have as the posted Dad for Diapers as his son was barely out of them when he bailed!