Daddy's Girl
When newly pregnant with my daughter, my husband tried to ease my “first time mom jitters” (aka...utter terror at the thought of being completely responsible for the life of another human) by telling me that our firstborn would be “his” and our second child would be “mine.” As for any children we were to have after that, we would flip a coin to see who got to be the parent of choice. And from the moment she was born, there has been no doubt that our daughter is indeed, Daddy’s girl.
There is just something about watching a Dad with his daughter. Something special about the relationship; it’s one that –I believe - cannot and should not be replaced. My little girl is learning so many great things from her Dad... things that I wouldn’t be able to teach her. For example, that she doesn’t need to be afraid of heights (especially when Daddy throws her thousands of feet into the air), to swing the bat hard and to run fast (even in the house...around mommy’s china cabinet), and that she should never (and I mean NEVER) even THINK about putting her feet up on the upholstery of Daddy’s new truck. But besides all that... she is also learning important lessons about real love, respect and Relationship. She's learning a lot about her heavenly father by watching the wonderful example of her earthly daddy. I love watching them interact. I love her screams of delight when he tickles her and his screams of sheer panic when she tickles him (did I really just tell all of cyberspace that my husband is UNBEARABLY ticklish??...). He thinks she is such a great kid, and his approval already registers with her...and she’s not yet two!! I trust she will grow up to cherish this relationship as I do...
I spent some quality time with my Dad yesterday. It was my first time horseback riding since well before my daughter was born, and while it shouldn’t have been a big deal...it was no ordinary “trot around the pen” kind of ride. This was more like, “Man from Snowy River” stuff...complete with streams to cross and mountains to climb. I tried not to look too green as I clung to the saddle horn and deftly avoided the tree branches threatening to decapitate me. I’m actually kidding. There are some things that just always seem to come natural...no matter how long it’s been. For me, one of those things is riding. Another is hanging out with my Dad. It was not a long endeavour, just a few stolen moments. We talked about important stuff like Ethiopia, golf and (of course) raising kids...I like to run stuff by him every once in a while. Mostly because I value his opinion (I like to think he and my mom must have done a pretty good job to end up with a daughter like me), but also because I secretly want him to know I'm doing okay at this parenting thing. After all, all a little girl truly wants from her Dad is his approval...and for him to think she really is a great kid.
There is just something about watching a Dad with his daughter. Something special about the relationship; it’s one that –I believe - cannot and should not be replaced. My little girl is learning so many great things from her Dad... things that I wouldn’t be able to teach her. For example, that she doesn’t need to be afraid of heights (especially when Daddy throws her thousands of feet into the air), to swing the bat hard and to run fast (even in the house...around mommy’s china cabinet), and that she should never (and I mean NEVER) even THINK about putting her feet up on the upholstery of Daddy’s new truck. But besides all that... she is also learning important lessons about real love, respect and Relationship. She's learning a lot about her heavenly father by watching the wonderful example of her earthly daddy. I love watching them interact. I love her screams of delight when he tickles her and his screams of sheer panic when she tickles him (did I really just tell all of cyberspace that my husband is UNBEARABLY ticklish??...). He thinks she is such a great kid, and his approval already registers with her...and she’s not yet two!! I trust she will grow up to cherish this relationship as I do...
I spent some quality time with my Dad yesterday. It was my first time horseback riding since well before my daughter was born, and while it shouldn’t have been a big deal...it was no ordinary “trot around the pen” kind of ride. This was more like, “Man from Snowy River” stuff...complete with streams to cross and mountains to climb. I tried not to look too green as I clung to the saddle horn and deftly avoided the tree branches threatening to decapitate me. I’m actually kidding. There are some things that just always seem to come natural...no matter how long it’s been. For me, one of those things is riding. Another is hanging out with my Dad. It was not a long endeavour, just a few stolen moments. We talked about important stuff like Ethiopia, golf and (of course) raising kids...I like to run stuff by him every once in a while. Mostly because I value his opinion (I like to think he and my mom must have done a pretty good job to end up with a daughter like me), but also because I secretly want him to know I'm doing okay at this parenting thing. After all, all a little girl truly wants from her Dad is his approval...and for him to think she really is a great kid.
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