The Bond Between Father and Daughter or I Never Thought Phil Collins Would Make Me Cry

Most nights, when the inevitable bedtime rolls around, I lay down with The Peanut for a few minutes. We talk, we giggle, we say prayers. Sometimes she will pepper me with questions about any one of a thousand random topics, sometimes she will debrief me on her day at school, who was a good listener and who was not, who had to sit in the "thinking chair" and the unfortunate choice that got them banished there, and sometimes we just lay there, enjoying a few quiet moments as our hearts beat close together. I do not exaggerate when I say that these few minutes are the highlight of my day. I treasure each one of them because I know that one day, all too soon, they will come to an end.

Last night, after all the night time routines had been completed (the running of the bath, the brushing of the teeth, the reading of a story, and the fetching of the glass of water) we went into her room. The Peanut hopped into bed, American Girl Doll and newest Build-A-Bear (we have so many of these bears I think our house could get federal funding as a preserve) in hand. I performed my duly appointed duties, turning off the overhead light, switching on the Nemo night light, and turning on the radio. Much like her father, The Peanut loves to drift off to sleep listening to music. My mother-in-law is a loyal listener of 99.5 WJBR and my daughter insists on being able to listen to "Grammy Music" at night.

My Father 100 Post - LOVE

Well I can't enter the contest because I am judging and impartiality has always been kinda hard for me, but I still wanted to write.

So I offer this purely for enjoyment's sake...

My Daughter

Your smile, rays of sunshine given flesh.

Your laugh, a sound of joy so pure, nothing on this earth can darken it.

Your hugs, the very embrace of the divine.

Your sense of humor, quirky and incredibly original.

Your respect, a treasure I desire never to lose or tarnish.

Your eyes, luminous windows to your soul.

Your unconditional love, a rock upon which I can set my back to fight any battle that comes our way.

Your compassion, as selfless as it is unending.

These my daughter are but a handful of the multitude of things I love about you.