Platinum Medallion

Last year, I went from Silver to Platinum Medallion on a certain airline from the frequency of my work travel. The perks were nice, first class upgrades on many flights, early boarding, lounge in all the major hubs, friendly attendants in every city who always made sure to thank their frequent fliers. I got a platinum luggage tag for each of my bags, and 2 new plastic loyalty club cards that don't fit in my wallet filled with plastic loyalty cards. Bonus miles for every added mile I travel, getting me closer to the pinnacle of "Diamond" status. As I write this, I'm in the air over New Mexico, and snapped a photo of a mountain range I probably have passed a few times in the last 4 years.

The plane wifi isn't yet strong enough on most flights I have been on to face time, but I gave it a whirl to see if the airline had some super platinum wifi for me. The screen connected, and a small image of a smiling 4 year old appeared. She had a bandage on her chin covering the 5 stitches put in yesterday evening in the children's ER at 11pm. The screen immediately froze with her little tired smiling eyes and puckered lips ready to kiss the screen of her mothers phone.

I texted explaining the wifi was not sufficient, added a few of the wonderful new smiley face emoji's  with hearts and a face with a surgical mask to acknowledge the puking that my 7 year old daughter had been doing all morning according to my wife. I was told she was no longer genuflecting in the john, and then a pile of garbled words rattled from a stream of 7 year old consciousness. It reminded me of a Dave Barry short story, if Dave Barry was inebriated and utilizing an Iphone to communicate with me for some reason.

It read exactly:
"OK, I love you you are my kids and you seem like the best daddy ever and you are special and great all do the things I tell you you you do this choice the best you can at Christmas time it's good to see you every day I love you have a special night at there and I hope you do good on your sings I hope you"
"Hola"
"El Dolphine en agua"

Spanish class is working I see, kinda like the wifi on this plane...

Written iPhone English was definitely operating at Platinum status this evening, and wasn't quite Diamond yet.

As the next ping dinged, and a photo plopped into the message portal, I remembered why I travel for work, that I am lucky to have ended up with two lovely daughters, and why they have El Dolphine's corazon pretty well locked up.

Being a Daddy with Daughters is a really special thing to be.

Welcome to my blog, once a week I promise I'll share a story that I hope inspires at least 52 dad's a year to look at your daughter's bright eyes and enjoy the glow a little more.

bvd