We all like to see a bit of ourselves in the characters we watch on screen. Anyone who says otherwise probably doesn’t see the story and the characters of their favorite show as anything but pure fiction. However, I fully believe that there are lessons to be learned from movies and TV and sometimes I even find myself identifying with fictional characters. So, it should be no surprise that when I was introduced to the character of Din Djarin and Grogu (better known as Baby Yoda) in “The Mandalorian,” I saw a bit of my own future being played out on screen. No, I’m not a super cool bounty hunter roaming the galaxy, nor am I a tiny green puppet, but I do know what fatherhood looks like when I see it. Let’s back up. See, not so long ago, in a galaxy pretty close to home, I met a man who I decided to spend the rest of my life with. Beyond that fateful encounter, we went on many adventures together, laughed together, cried together, and consumed a lot of calories together. We even shared a love for George Lucas’ 1977 space opera, “Star Wars.” All of these adventures led us to our newest and most life-changing journey...parenthood, where we now stand at the mouth of a Mudhorn cave ready to face the challenge head on, and we couldn’t be more scared or excited. Like Mando, we don’t know what type of little tike will end up on our doorstep or what challenges might come along with them. Since our journey into parenthood is intertwined with the foster care system, we too, like Mando, will be tasked with taking care of a child who has faced traumatic events and has an entire past history that we aren’t a part of. One day, we might even have to say goodbye to the child that we come to love as our own. As a writer and overall fan of a good saga, I want to document this journey from the very beginning. I want to write about the good times and the bad, the hard times and the times that we laugh together, and I want to talk about how it feels to have a child on day one versus day 101. I plan to write about the grief I feel when we inevitably part ways with that child, or the joy we feel when we get to claim him or her as our own. Hopefully I can even infuse some knowledge from a galaxy far, far, away into my writing and work out my emotions through this public online forum. Who knows when comforting words of wisdom such as, “you can’t stop change any more than you can stop the suns from setting” will come in handy? Or maybe themes like, “beware your heart,” or even, “there’s always a bigger fish” will do the trick for that day’s meltdown. Only time will tell. They say that 10,000 hours studying a subject makes anyone an expert, so I’m well on my way to having a PHD in "Star Wars." And the themes of fatherhood in the series are some of its richest parts. From Vader’s line, “no, I am your father,” to Jango Fett’s line about being “a simple man trying to make his way in the universe” fatherhood is a celebrated part of this fantasy world. So much so, that it leaves fans asking questions like “Is Yoda Grogu’s father” which is the type of absurd curiosity that I hope to bring to this blog each and every month. I don’t plan on being an expert, at all. There are plenty of podcasts, blogs, and Youtubers who have dedicated themselves to Star Wars lore or childcare. However, if I’m successful, maybe I can use one to better inform the other or maybe I’ll sit on a rock on my metaphorical Jedi Temple trying to call out with the force. (Hopefully calling out with the force doesn’t sound to much like crying from sleepless nights.) Currently my spouse and I are probably a few months out from our first placement, so we are nesting harder than a porg preparing for its porglets. (If those words are foreign to you, don’t fret, because there is no fandom-shaming on my watch, and I guarantee there will be plenty of child-related goodness to even out the alien animatronic allusions.) From our corner of the galaxy, to yours. May the force be with you (and hopefully with us) as we say “hello there” to a youngling and hold on tight for the adventure of a lifetime. -Erick L. Graham Wood [email protected]
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Erick L. Graham WoodHello there! Archives
June 2023
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