THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT A DAD...
Don't get me wrong...little girls
love their mommies. When they're hurt and need a Band-Aid, they'll run to mom.
When they need a new dress, they'll run to mom. When they have exciting news
about that boy in second period, they may run to mom. But do not misunderstand.
It's dad that makes the world go 'round. When dad says 'you look nice tonight',
THAT'S what puts the warm glow in a little girl's heart.
Never, never,
never underestimate the power of a father's influence. Never think it is trivial
to the rest of her life, no matter how she acts or what she says. Never think
it's unimportant. And never, never, never think it's too late.
You must
become involved in your daughter's life. You need to know who her friends are
and where she goes. You need to tell her how you feel about her actions, and
spend time talking to her about consequences. It WILL make a difference. Take
the time to find common ground. It's not an easy thing to do, but parenting
isn't for cowards, and your little girl is worth it. Besides you'll enjoy the
view from the pedestal.
Some ideas:
Text her. Phone her. Take her
out to lunch. Take her to work with you. Go fishing. Go to the movies. Let her
practice driving. Have a picnic. Play cards. Text her. Write her a note. Play
chess. Go bowling. Go for a hike. Go to a museum. Have a movie night at home
with popcorn. Play board games. Take funny pictures together. Text her!
Good luck, Dad. You won't regret it.
Thanks for reading. If you like what you see, please insert your email address in the box above (just below the dogwood photo) so you won't miss a post. Make it a great day! ~ robyn
My brother is the best guy in the world. And the most fun. And the most
imaginative. Whenever he's around, it's a party...in the best way.
He's a
dog-lover, and can never resist adopting strays that wander up to his house. He
always has 4-5 dogs at a time. But they are the best-behaved of any animals
you've ever seen.
Mick has a square patio that is flush with his lawn.
When it's time for the pups to eat, he gives them the word and at once, each dog
retreats to their assigned spot along the perimeter of the patio. Mick places
their bowls before them, and then fills them in a specific order. No one
twitches - whether their bowl has been filled or not. Then, at his command, they
all dig in. Amazing.
*
Where I live, we have a big opening day
event for our little girls' softball leagues. The girls dress up in their
uniforms and are presented by teams to a huge crowd of fans. There are short
speeches and a honorary first pitch thrown out by someone special in the
community.
All the little girls -- perhaps two hundred of them -- are
holding balloons. They wait patiently, which is hard for girls of these assorted
young ages. When the official business is finished, someone gives a sign and
each of the girls lets go of her balloon. Two hundred red balloons float lazily
into the expansive blue sky. Every head turns upward watching their journey,
watching them recede from sight.
One year, my young niece, Billie, asked
her dad, "Where do all those balloons go?"
Without missing a single beat,
my brother answered, "They go straight up to pet heaven and all the little
doggies get to play with them."
Well. We fell in love with the idea.
What a wonderful thought. What a perfect image. From that day on, a new tradition
started in our family. Whenever a family pet dies, we bury our loved one and
then gather solemnly 'round the grave. Each family member holds a balloon. We go
around the circle and let each person tell something they remember about the
pet, and then watch as he lets his balloon go.
It's a tender little
ceremony that has sad moments and funny moments, wistful moments and bittersweet
moments. Above all, it provides a welcome sense of closure for the children
and the adults.
I just thought I'd share. My brother is the
best. *smile*
