Sample Story 5

I am secretly jealous of moms. And not because I can't have kids or anything like that. I can, but I'm not ready to. I am jealous of women who are so free with their daughters that they can do anything in front of a crowd of people without a care in the world.

What’s that like?

I was at a park not far from where I live last Independence Day and I saw a woman dancing with her daughter while they were standing in line for the porta-potty. The woman was far from a good dancer, but she and her daughter kept at it, dancing the night away.

I will never forget the ear-to-ear smile on the woman’s face. She was in pure bliss doing nothing spectacular.

I sat there with my nephew in my arms, sitting on a blanket, wondering what that feels like to be that happy. I feel like I am a happy person, or at least a very content person. But I can’t remember ever having as good a time as that woman looked like she was having.

Just once I want to get on a dance floor and just dance with no inhibitions, no fear of what anyone else thinks of what I look like, and with a partner who’s having just as much fun doing the same.

Now, I say I’m jealous of moms because I’ve never seen a dad do what this woman, whom I secretly envy, was doing.

I have seen moms go all out in various ways to show their kids a good time and look like goofballs doing it. But it’s never just the kid enjoying the play. The mom usually has an even bigger smile than the kid she’s trying to please. I want that feeling just one time.