Tonight, as I was putting my oldest daughter to bed, I realized how much that ritual has come to mean to me. It is a very simple moment, but it is absolutely the best part of my day. It starts with her evening milk. Once she finishes, we have family prayer. Then, if I'm lucky, I get to take her up the bed.
I get to carry her up, and she holds me tight as we go up. We have a good time on our way up the stairs. Then, I lay her in her bed, and get her "guys." There's Zebra, and Baby, and Puppy, and Elephant. She gets her binky (which we hope to wean her off soon), and gets covered up by her blanket. Every night, she then asks for a song. She always wants the "Me" song. "I love daughter, she loves me. We love (Mommy, baby, cousins, neighbors, neighbor's mommies, etc.), yessiree. They love us, and so you see, we are a happy family!"
We usually try to limit her to three verses of the song, although at times it is a challenge. Most often, by the third verse, she has one of her guys pressed against her eyes, and has settled in to her bed. I then give her a kiss on the forehead, and tell her, "Night night. We love you! See you tomorrow." Sometimes, she'll close her eyes super tight, and pretend like she's already asleep. It always makes me smile.
Each night, I'm amazed at the trust I see in her eyes. I'm amazed at the love I feel for this little person. I know that it is a tremendous challenge and responsibility to be a father. There are times that it is exasperating and beyond frustrating. But when I put her to bed, it makes it all worth it, and it gives me hope that I may be able to help in some small way raise her into a spectacular woman.
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