dreams of a father

Tonight my baby girl was crying before bed. She was tired and irritable. Pitiful really. I mean that in the cute, playful sense of course.

Even though I know it is okay, I had a flash forward moment and thought about when those tears are the result of a broken heart or being let down by someone she loves.

I tried to look into her watery eyes so that I could remember such a simple thing and I also hoped that we will have a relationship where she invites me in to help her when times are difficult.

Invite may be a strong verb choice. Rather, I meant let's me in to help and love on her when she needs it most.

Truthfully, I want the same for my son. Boys need healthy outlets for dealing with their disappointments and broken hearts too.

We all do I suppose.

I imagine I will try to make her laugh all the while knowing that being let down by people you love can feel pretty awful. I anticipate that I am going to be in for some heartache as my children navigate various choices, friendships, teams, love and disappointment.

I want my children to give themselves permission to feel and find healthy ways to deal and heal as they grow up.

Dreams of a father ... 

Zoo with a couple monkeys

The weekend we went to the zoo in September 2016
We saw the penguins and a bunch of other animals
We laughed our way through most of the exhibits
Whined about tired legs a little
Took some cool pictures
Celebrated some good old-fashion family time