It was shaping up to be one of the biggest nights of my life.  "Married Comedian Disclaimer: I was married in the afternoon and all of my children were born in the day time." The first signs of full-blown fall had settled upon Washington DC.  The temperature had pummeled a full thirty degrees from what had been the norm in summer’s final grips.  And it was raining.  In the event that you haven't experienced it... there is nothing quite like driving on the DC beltway.  In the rain.  At night. During rush hour.  Nonetheless I was bouncing in my seat as I navigated the snarled traffic on my way to comedy nirvana.  Over the previous five weeks I had worked hard to hone my comedy act down to a concise five minutes.  I was braving the beltway in the rain, at night, during rush hour to make it the twelve miles from my home to deliver five minutes of flawless funny in my debut at the DC Improv. 

            
            Not only is the DC Improv considered one of the premier comedy clubs in all of the United States but it is truly a home to the greats of comedy.  I was about to deliver my set of witticisms on a stage that had seen the likes of Jerry Seinfeld, Robin Williams and Jay Leno.  Most recently I had seen Wanda Sykes appear at the Improv and I literally laughed until I cried.  I couldn’t tell you how many times I have read or heard of comedians of the caliber forementioned who have spoken affectionately about the perfect ambiance of the DC Improv.  This was truly going to be a special night for an aspiring comic such as me. 

            
            I had pulled out an old mix CD I had made last year and was listening to it on my way to the show.  The music was working its magic.  I was lost in the rhythms and harmonies of some of my favorite tunes of all time.  The butterflies in my belly began to subside.  And then “the song” came pumping out of my stereo.  I became lost in the lyrics that I had first heard performed live in the fall of 2008.  My daughter had gone away to college, not far.  Close enough that we could get to her in a hurry and far enough for her to know that we wouldn’t be popping in. 

            
            She had been away to college for over a month and we hadn’t seen her and it was getting to me.  A family musician friend was going to be performing in a coffee house in her college town so I invited her to invite me to join her to see the show.  Upon being seated I saw my baby girl approaching through the crowded coffee shop and I realized that my she had become a woman.  She hadn't yet seen me.  I was bursting with pride in the way only a father would understand upon seeing his daughter walk confidently his way.  I realized and I suppose I knew all along that she was going to do okay without her Daddy’s protective wing around her. 

            We talked and we laughed and caught up and then our friend, Kevin (BF) Burt started in on a song I hadn’t heard before.  It went something like this:

            One day you gonna spread your wings and fly away and that’s okay

            Cuz baby daddy understands that’s what you supposed to do.

            Oh and daddys gonna cry that day but don’t you worry baby

            Cuz that’s what daddy’s s’posed to do too.

            Just remember no matter where you go, no matter where you roam

            Daddy’s waitin with open arms. 

            Oh to give you that big daddy bear hug baby

            As soon as you step one foot back in your home.

            You’ve made my life worthwhile Oh you’ve made life worthwhile

            Just to see you smile.

            When I first heard that song my daughter had been living less than an hour from me and the words broke me as they were an affirmation that I had to let go.  I tried.  I’m trying. I wept and couldn’t hide it from her and I think Only then did I understand why it had been okay with her that we hadn’t seen each other for a month.  I tend to tear up at inappropriate moments when it comes to her.  And now as I was inching my way along the Beltway for one of the biggest nights of my life my daughter couldn’t be with me.  She’s now going to college across an ocean where I can’t get to her in a moment if need be.  But she’s doing okay and I know she is strong and she’s smart.  And then I was glad that through that song we shared she was with me in a way.  I felt her presence strongly and recalled the confident way she came looking for me in that coffee shop. 

            
            The show was freeking awesome.  It was as much fun and gratification as I have ever had in my adult life (wedding and birth of children not withstanding) and somehow I don’t think I could have done the show without her.  When it came down to it the show was indiscribably important to me.  It was a life defining moment but in the bigger scheme of things...not more important than family.
Kevin (BF) Burt  - See and hear Kevin Burts "See You Smile" here.