There is something so special about fathers and daughters. The way Josh interacts with our girls is so different than what they receive from hanging around with me. I have imposed some type of rule that I will teach our children to have excellent manners and therfore always exhibit them myself. We sip tea each afternoon in lieu of snack time and I lecture about sitting up straight and pleasant table conversation. Last night I began to wonder if it was all for nothing. Josh is so fun, so spontaneous and thank goodness that he is nothing like me because then our kids would probably go insane. We were enjoying the fun of a Papa Murphy's pizza around the dinner table when everyone began to belch on their Pepsi and giggle, followed by fart noise after fake fart noise. The kids and Josh were in stitches and for moment I wrinkled my forehead and gave Josh a deathglare. I caught a glimpse of the ugliness of my bad attitude and then I decided to pull a 180 and follow Josh's lead. I wanted to have some fun too and I let out the BIGGEST fart noise of the whole night to the delight of my children and husband. By following the lead of their daddy our girls will know how to have fun, and live in a home full of laughter! They will also see that their mama loves their daddy and that fart noises and all, we are a team. Seeing the way Josh wrestles, listens, plays dress up and just plain loves on our girls is priceless. I received a letter from my own dad this year on my birthday that was so beautiful and so intimate... he knows me and loves me and embraced what it meant to be the picture of God in my life at a young age. I realized that even as a married woman, a parent myself now, I long for the words I receive from my dad. They build me up, they encourage me and breathe life into my identity. The words and affection and interactions dads shower on their daughters are forming their very persons, their futures and will ultimately benefit generations. I am so thankful that Josh doesn't get tempted to hide behind pretense like me. I am so thankful that he is silly and fun and real with our girls. I am so thankful that he is present and not hidden from them. He amazes me with his love for our children. And about the whole manners thing... well, at least we still have tea time.
