Dads Being Daddies

This Sunday I was sitting in the back of the church, running video, and I saw the most beautiful thing.

In fact, I had to look away because I got all choked up and teary eyed.

Like I am now, just thinking about it.

I saw three men - standing in back holding babies. Their babies.

Rocking and humming, whispering sweet nothings and kissing the tops of soft baby heads.

Dads being daddies.

Imagine that. According to some people, that is a rare occurrence. According to some others, it is simply impossible. Men simply do not know how, or even care, to be dads.

Not my husband - but another
really awesome dad!

But I disagree.  I know so many men that are wonderful dads.  They may not change diapers or get up at night for feedings (although many do) but they are there for their kids.  While mom is worried about keeping little Suzie looking all prim and proper and Jimmy Jr. out of the mud; Dad is wrestling and fishing and sledding down icy snow hills and playing games with them - past bed-time even (shhh...don't tell mom!)  Dad is reading stories and having diving contests and playing tennis and going for bike rides (and hiding the pair of good pants that got ripped when Jimmy Jr. fell during said bike ride - oops.)

Dad rocks as a parent.  He may do it differently - but that's why he's 'dad' and not 'mom'.

My husband is one of them.  He has played endless... countless... games of Monopoly.  He is the one who goes to the park, or swimming in the lake (eww) or tromps through the mud in search of worms.   In fact, if you want to get his ire up when he is  with the kids, just ask him if he is "babysitting."  He'll respond right back in his fiercest tone (which really isn't very fierce at all) that "No, he is not 'babysitting', he is 'fathering' - because that's what dads do."

I know there are men out there who are failures as parents.  I know there are men out there who are jerks.  And I know that there are lots of men out there who are neither.

Today, those are the men that I want to recognize - whether they are rocking their babies in the back of the church or sloshing through the mud on a worm hunt.  And maybe if we start giving the good dads a little more attention - and  maybe if we could turn the TV on once in a while and see more dads like Bill Cosby and less like Al Bundy  - and maybe if us women quit sleeping around with boys and start waiting a little longer for the right man - the other "dads" will get the point.

Just saying...



For some more good stuff from another really great dad, check out this post from Single Dad Laughing.