Lately I have been overwhelmed by some amazing dads in this world. I have been spoiled by two very important men in my life: my dad and my husband. When I was young, my dad worked his butt off to support and raise his 6 girls. It’s ironic, because my memories of him were not being absent all the time. As much as he worked, I remember him always being there for us. Whether it was at the ballpark watching our games or at my swim meets watching me compete. I remember the vacations we took as a family and the countless amount of trips we took to Chicago just for ice cream at 8pm. He was a dad of 6 girls and, let me tell you, he kicked butt doing it! Things weren’t perfect, but we were loved, and we knew it. That was the most important part of it all.
Fast forward 29 years when my husband and I first became parents. He was, and still is, my rock. The first months of nursing, for me, were hard. I didn’t know much about it, and to top it off, I had a baby with a lip tie and dairy intolerance. I mean, there are bigger obstacles out there with nursing, but those two are definitely on that list of HUGE nursing obstacles! I haven’t met a man who tried harder to help his wife through literally anything she made important to her. I knew he would be such an amazing dad. He is setting the bar high for the future men in our girls’ lives. Ok, I’m getting off track here. I am talking about dads who learn to braid….
My husbands effort, of course, didn’t stop with me. We have two beautiful daughters and he is soooo good to them. He dresses up as Kristoff every single time we are invited to a Frozen themed birthday party. He dances with them and sings the male verses in Disney duets. He is so proud when he gets them dressed up, even if it is usually an Ohio State themed outfit (which they love because of him!). He is so patient, even more than myself (thank goodness!). And he learned to braid their hair! Because, well, you can’t go to a Frozen themed party with a ponytail! Whatever is important to them is important to him and he takes the time to show them that. They will always know they are loved, just like I did, and still do, with my dad.
So I am writing this because recently, I have seen some really great dads in action, and it just made me all warm and fuzzy inside. So often, women get all the credit for the nurturing care. Though it is well deserved, let’s not discredit the great dads who do it, too.
I watched a dad pull out a comb from his pocket to brush his little girls hair because it kept getting in her face while she was playing. She insisted on keeping her hair down, so he kept the comb in his pocket so it was nearby when her hair got a little too messy. He is definitely the manly type and was also bald, so he definitely did not keep that comb in his pocket for himself. With a huge smile, he talked about how much she loved dinosaurs and how she impressed a paleontologist at the museum with her knowledge of fossils. He also told us about the time he learned to braid his oldest daughters hair by reading a book at the library.
My last example is this: I had a photoshoot this past week where the dad requested a Frozen theme. It was a last minute request, and I did’t have much time to plan, but I couldn’t say no! This dad got his two little princesses all dolled up and brought them over to my studio. They wore dresses and wigs and we played all the best songs. Just before I started the photoshoot, the father went up to his girls and fixed their hair, made sure the sleeves (that were a little too long) were rolled up and told them they were beautiful.
These gestures seem so simple, so easy, and so expected, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t appreciate them. The love those little girls felt and — i’m sure — feel every day, will be something they will look back and remember always. It will be a big part of who they are, and do so much for their confidence; not because they felt beautiful, but because they always felt loved.
