Daughters and Fathers

Picture courtesy of ... me and my girls.

Having five daughters I truly feel blessed with each and every single one of them. With each baby girl I see little parts of me and little parts of their Mom. Most of all I see five individuals that are so unique and so full of life and love that sometimes it scares me. Sometimes I worry about them and many, far to many times Mom tells me to stop it and let them just grow up as life intended.

There is not one relationship between all of them and me as the Dad that is the same. Serious talks are with one, gut busting laughs with another, belly pokes with another, horse play with another, and of course the Princess. Reverse each role and pick and choose and it could be anyone of my daughters for that given day. Each one of them has their own personal version of who Daddy is to them and that is something I tend to prefer.

I’ve heard tales of children in large families that were their fathers favorite, loved more, cherished over the other children or just simply favored. I personally can’t buy that point of view with my own children. Someday they may say I favored one over the other but I love each one of them as an individual.

I’m addicted to my children and each one of them is a project in the making. Building the lives of children to be adults is not easy but it is a job that as a parent I have to do my best from the experience I was raised on. How we all progress through this journey we call life is amazing for some and disturbing for some people. I’m fortunate to benefit from the amazing side and I’m not complaining. I’ve never claimed to anyone to be perfect to anyone and God above knows my mistakes, my faults, my fears. I can only hope and pray that I raise my daughters well and that they reflect my judgments’ and of course their Mothers in the lives they soon will lead.

I’m getting older and someday these children I raised and loved all of their lives will one day have to care for me or their Mom. Mom is the better candidate because I really don’t take care of myself like she does so that is what it is. It might just be grocery shopping or helping with the household bills but building a family is a life long event that happens. How it happens is up to you and your relationship with your children.

There is the old saying that anyone can be a father but it takes a real man to be a Dad. I think I have the father part down but being a Dad is a one day at a time job. Time will tell if I will ever meet that honored title.

Papamoka