If you’ve been around my family and me at all recently, you will have heard me say “I don’t matter anymore!”, with a smile across my face. That fact of the matter is, I have raised a daddy’s girl. Our daughter is completely obsessed with her daddy the minute he walks through the door. She says his name all day long. She waits for him. She kisses him, and if given a choice, she always chooses him over me. And I LOVE it.
Our culture constantly diminishes the role of a father. Men on TV are cast as idiots who know nothing about their family. Fathers are made to feel like they are incapable of raising their own children. And other dads simply choose to not even be apart of the picture.
I am thankful everyday that my husband doesn’t fall into any of these categories. Instead, I have been given a husband who bathes our daughter each night and brushes her teeth. He often makes her plate for dinner so I don’t have to. We take turns getting up and caring for her if she wakes up through the night (although since I am not as fun, my sleepy dust works better than his :)). And I never have to worry about my husband’s capability when it comes to taking care of our daughter, which in turn gives me a few minutes to wander through the cosmetics aisle while “grabbing a few things”. Sure, it feels good when my daughter kisses me or says my name, but when she runs into her daddy’s arms, I am overcome with gratitude.
Right now, I am the maid, the cook, the nurse, the planner, the accountant, the disciplinarian, and glorified secretary. When J comes home, he is the fun. He is what we’ve been waiting for all day. I love my role as a stay-at-home-mom. I love that I get to spend every moment caring for my family, because that is the job God has given me. But for J to come home to a daughter who is smiling, laughing, and squealing just because he walked through the door, makes him feel like a hero. He spends everyday working hard to provide for our family. He comes home with a tired brain and tired feet. And he often has other projects around the house that need to be done. The man deserves a celebration of his presence everyday, just as a way of letting him know how appreciated he is.
At the end of the day, I want our little girls to be daddy’s girls. J is my hero. His good morning kiss is the highlight of my day. And I long for quitting time at work more than he does. It is my job to model for our girls how amazing their daddy is. It is my job to encourage him as he continues to learn how to be a daddy. It is my job to thank him for all the ways he is the world’s best daddy. Because I do these things, most of the time…I’m by no means the perfect wife, our girls will view their daddy with the same admiration.
For all you mommies raising Daddy’s girls, don’t be jealous. You are needed and you are loved, not just by your children, but by your man too. Encourage him in all the ways he is getting it right, and see just how much your words will boost his confidence, not only as a husband and father, but as a man. While the rest of the world seeks to tear men down and make them feel small, build your man up. Let him stand tall, knowing his wife and children acknowledge and appreciate all the ways he puts his family before everything else.
Choosing. 