Wednesday, April 02, 2025

Celebrating Hamako and Alicia Bridgewater

I'm sorry I didn't get this posted on Monday, the last day of Women's History Month, which celebrates all women for their contributions to history and society.

This week, I am celebrating my Wife, Hamako, and My Daughter, Alicia, who have made a tremendous personal impact and have enriched my life tremendously. 

 This October, I will have been married to Hamako for 41 years. We are both retired now, and I can honestly say we are living comfortably due to her financial acumen and willingness to kick my behind when I do stupid things, which still happens, as I am a kid at heart. As a child and young adult, I emulated Dennis the Menace regularly. Once I married her, I realised my actions would also affect her, so I quickly got out of that mode. She is relatively quiet but can give me, Alicia, or Chris a look that makes us feel we are about to die when we act up.

She loves working on the various community service projects we have done over the years, and I can honestly say she is probably the hardest-working volunteer I know. She does not like standing around and will jump wherever they need her. She is amazingly creative and an award-winning seamstress. Hell, she made her own wedding dress. 

I am who I am today because of her, and I also know that I am the boss of the family, but I have her permission to say so.

This picture is my favorite of her. It was when we rode to Death Valley on our Trike.

Her Wedding Dress

Alicia is my firstborn child. She is a very strong-willed young woman who is unafraid to tell her family and friends how she feels. Her discussions on life and how we should treat others have significantly impacted how I see things now. Sometimes, it's too easy for a man to see things through his perspective and think that is how the world turns, but listening and arguing with her over the years has changed my thinking. If you want an honest, unfiltered answer, Alicia is one to go to.  When I wanted to know if I was the A$$ in some conversation, I would talk to her, and she would give it to me very unfiltered. I respect her opinion, even though I may not agree at times. However, afterwards, I think about what she conveyed, and more often than not, I find that she had a lot of valid points.