Dearest Husband, You are a Great Father

Men believe lies as often as women. Did you know that? For some reason I am always thrown when my husband, or any man, talk about a fear or insecurity. Among a man’s topmost insecurities is his belief that he is not a good enough father. I hate hearing this. I have heard men say it. I have heard my own husband say it. 

Sometimes we are able to look at a lie from the enemy and know right away how fake it is. There is no purchase to the words because they are simply absurd, and we know it. Other times, the enemy picks the most subtle things and attaches them to the end of a pin. It’s small at first, so we don’t totally notice, but after a while, the pin pricks turn into a deep, festering wound leaving us too injured to think clearly. I believe most insecurities follow this pattern, and the only way to see through the lies, get past the nonsense, and gain perspective is to face them head on. Sometimes it takes an outsider. 

So here you go men. Here is what we love about you as a father. Here is why you are a good father. Here is why we are proud to have our boys (and girls) follow in your footsteps:

• You make pancakes, just because.
• You snuggle your teenagers, even when they pretend it’s weird.
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• You are willing to do housework and be a taxicab "dad" (says your daughter)
• You notice your daughter and tell her she is pretty.
• You pray for our family.
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• You have never shied away from changing a diaper. Well, maybe once.
• You teach your boy to do proper pushups.
• You take the time to tell them invaluable knowledge such as “righty tighty, lefty loosy.”
• You are terrified of your girls dating.
• You help me calm down when I am terrified of your girls dating.
• You are willing to take every girl in the Troop 127 out on the lake, no matter how full the boat feels.
• You will work outside in the freezing cold putting up Christmas lights, taking down Christmas lights, pulling weeds, digging holes, changing the oil, and fixing whatever we break.
• You are always willing to play air guitar and sing a, 80’s big hair rock band lick.
• You teach your kids to vacuum so the lines look nice.
• Your pride shows when you introduce your children…and your wife.
• You have nicknames for each of your kids that no one else gets to use.
• You take one of them with you when you run an errand.
• You insist they call you daddy, no matter how old they get, and you ignore them as if they never spoke if they try to call you anything else.
• You say, “Go for it,” even when some of their ideas seem out there.
• You know everything about everything, and you pass it on.
• You point out the mechanics of things to your boys, and ask them questions so they have to figure out their own answers.   
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• You will work three jobs, so I can stay home with our babies. 
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• You notice wild animals, even the really camouflaged ones, teaching them to take a minute and enjoy the world around them.
• You take your girls on dates.
• You whisper advice to your boys when they take me on dates.
• You teach them to leave a place cleaner than they left it, especially in nature.
• You hold the door for us, always, without fail, and tell your boys to do the same.
• You are here when you could have left.
• You say, “I love you,” and you mean it. 

Feel free to add to this list.  Please do.