March 19, 2024

Reading Time: 4 mins

OLPD Entry

“Familiar territory. Intimacy of the heart. Finding your Nemo.”

Expanded OLPD Entry

Familiar territory can feel too comfortable at times, particularly when maintaining a manageable workout routine. Since starting this beginner calisthenics program weeks ago, I’ve learned that perseverance is crucial for sustaining the energy needed to complete it properly. Though the movements appeared elementary, I didn’t realize the depth of engagement my entire body encountered until I began. It’s worth the anticipation.

Intimacy can be encountered in various flavors throughout one’s life. Without alleging any unreasonable connection between intimacy and, the usual suspect, love, I feel like most forms of intimacy shared are only attributed to sensuality, per usual. In my one year of marriage experience, I've discovered that intimacy holds an entirely different significance—it's the intimacy of the heart shared with your partner. With the deepest intentions, you find yourselves yearning for each other in ways you never dreamed of as children. Your senses mature over time. Thoughts evolve into action, and action transforms into an intimacy between you and your spouse in the most mundane aspects of life. For instance, taking leisurely walks around the neighborhood or running errands together around town. It’s always “the little things” that make life just a bit more lovely. That’s my form of intimacy of the heart.

Iris and I have a date night every Tuesday evening. These evenings can range from a variety of date ideas at home, such as a romantic meal, a romcom or dramatic movie, a puzzle, or anything else of romantic interest. This particular date night featured a dinner and a movie, Finding Nemo. In my opinion, Finding Nemo is one of the best classic animated films. I'm reminded of an old memory of mine, when I attended the first showing of Finding Nemo back in 2003 with my grandmother, Nene. It was late May, and the summer sunshine was just around the corner. I remember sitting so close to the screen that it took up my entire field of view; in retrospect, it probably didn’t help my neck from an ache or two.

Iris told me that we’d one day have our own “Nemo,” and that struck me in the most profound way imaginable. The notion that I would one day have and help raise a child? Wild. You grow up so quickly that life flies past, and you find yourself standing at a crossroads where the decisions you’ve made are just along the path that God has chosen for you. Like Dory states, you just “keep swimming.” It’s as if I knew myself being a father someday in the future would come to pass, but that happening one day is so beyond my vision. You grow up knowing these things will take place, but that transition is never something you'd imagine would be in one's lifetime without some preparation: you're born with those natural inclinations and parental abilities from the Lord. In Finding Nemo, the central focus lies on Marlin, a father who loses his son, Nemo. Marlin goes to great lengths to retrieve his son. Marlin’s relentless pursuit of his child is nothing short of admirable. It’s that deep bond a father shares with his son. It’s a nostalgic moment whenever we see these two entities come together again, reinforcing the timeless bond between a parent and child. It was just on my heart. In a matter of finding my Nemo one day, I hope I’m a father to my son in every way like Marlin. Although everyone has their own past, filled with tragedies, trials, and tribulations, we can hold fast to what comes next in consideration of our situations. Whenever that time comes for me, I hope to be even a fraction of what my own earthly father is to me.

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Pods & Tunes

From David Farrier, under the Armchair Expert umbrella, presents this delightful adventure into the realm of Lord of the Rings and Hobbiton.

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Learning Corner

A Piece of Science

“Most of the Earth exists in absolute darkness due to the average depth of the oceans being about 12,100 feet, and significant light rarely penetrates beyond 600 feet. This means the vast majority of our planet is enveloped in darkness at all times.” (Source)

A Piece of History

“The Phoenicians, one of the earliest seafaring civilizations, made significant contributions to ocean exploration. They excelled in shipbuilding and navigation, venturing beyond the Mediterranean into the Atlantic Ocean and possibly even reaching the British Isles. Their advancements laid the groundwork for future explorations and understanding of the world's oceans.” (Source)

A Word or Two

Word: “allege” (verb, “al-lege”) (Source)
Alternate forms: alleged; alleging

What it means:

1. :to assert without proof or before proving
   // A report alleging that the company deliberately overcharged its customers.
   // She is alleged to have stolen more than $50,000 over the course of several years.
2. :to bring forward as a reason or excuse