Southern Maryland Woman magazine - January/February 2021

Page 21

BY KYLE WEBBER

TAEKWONDO YOUR SOLUTION TO LIFE’S MANY CHALLENGES

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BETH GRAEME

N thing prepares a person for life; it just o

happens. Such is the way for having children. I am the father of six. Yesterday (it seems), my wife Cathy and I were high school sweethearts. Now, our oldest son is 16 and starting to drive. The author Gloria Naylor wrote that, “Time is a funny thing… years melted down into a fraction of a second.” That is what the last 20 years feel like – a fraction of a second. Try not to blink.

Three years ago, my wife and I welcomed our first daughter into the world. Her name is Madeline. Madeline is spunky. She loves her four older brothers, though she views herself as something of an enforcer among the group. If you were to ask her, she would explain in 3-year-old speak, that she’s a dog whisperer. She is an expert cuddle buddy. She takes her Cheerios with strawberries and seems to possess a sixth sense for the presence of ice cream. I might as well state for the record, when I met her, it was love at first sight.

“STUDYING THE TECHNIQUE OF SELF-DEFENSE TEACHES ONE HOW TO OVERCOME HARDSHIP, HOW TO TREAT OTHERS WITH RESPECT (EVEN AMONG ADVERSARIES), AND THE VALUE OF HARD WORK.

In the epic battle of the sexes, which has waged in my household, the men have enjoyed a distinct advantage in numbers. I have in the past, been haughty about my perceived ability to produce male offspring. However, in October of last year, the women of my tribe struck another blow when we were blessed with our second daughter, Makenzie. She is still new to us, but we are deeply grateful for her and love her with all the power that we possess.

Ja nua ry/Februa ry 2021 | SouthernMarylandWoman.com

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