To the Dads.
Mamas are amazing. We really are. We are lovers, nurturers, day-makers, boo-boo kissers, hug givers, encouragers, fighters, advocates, laundry doers, the hard & holy stuff participants. We often get recognized for these things & I'm grateful. But I’ve noticed lately that while I get praised for being a foster mom, (I could write an entire blog post on why I don’t think it’s that amazing & outlandish - it’s biblical, but I’ll save that for later), I don’t see my partner in crime, my forever date, my kiddos’ dad get that same response.
Maybe it’s because I am typically the one that posts more things on social media platforms therefore giving more of a medium & surface area for people to “like” & comment. Or maybe it’s because of the gender roles we feel like we have to place on ourselves. Well, get out of here you gender roles. We’re allowed to express the way God unique created us - all of us - the parts that fit into preconceived boxes & the parts that don’t. If we agree that God created all things & that He created all people in His image, then He encompasses all of the good qualities that we, men & women, possess. So, I wanted to take a few moments & fill up my minute section of the internet with words about the dads, and more specifically, the one my little girl calls “Dada.” Dads are amazing. They really are. They are lovers, nurturers, day-makers, boo-boo kissers, hug givers, encouragers, fighters, advocates, laundry doers, the hard & holy stuff participants.
Dads have the same amount of responsibility as parents as moms do. The responsibilities might look slightly different in every household, but they are all a vital piece in cultivating a home that is healthy & seeping with love. In our home, my husband takes care of all things morning since I’m usually out of the house by the time she wakes. Baby girl L wakes up to her daddy picking her up, giving her milk & breakfast, cuddling, playing, & getting ready for the day which includes styling her hair. He’s come a long way, people, and is pretty dang good! He has taught her her how to wink & give hugs. L adores her dad & I’m not surprised at all. I knew he would rock being a dad one day, but I become more & more in awe of the role he has dove head first into. I was hesitant in the timing of us becoming parents, but he was not. He was sure, he was persistent. Man, was he right. The amount of love that emerges from his bones for each kid that steps into our home is simply overwhelming. I am confident that when each kid leaves, they know Jesus a little better - maybe they can’t articulately express that in ways that we can measure, but I know they have felt genuinely loved & liked by my guy. When I am frustrated because I have redirected behavior for the 193764th time in a matter of 12 minutes, he is patient. When I am too tired to scare away the monsters or squat down to pick up a little that just wants to be held, he is present & available for one more always - even if that one more becomes just one more. When I bite off more than I can chew, which is often, he carefully picks up what I drop. When I am scared or uncertain about what our future looks like with L, he points us to Jesus. Dads serve a beautiful purpose. They love deeply, protect fiercely, & reflect a glorious piece of who God is. Celebrate the ones you know if your life. Bio dads. Step dads. Adoptive dads. Single dads. Foster dads. Single foster dads. All the dads. Recognize the big & little stuff they do - the stereotypical “dad” stuff, but also the hard & holy stuff they choose to partake in as well. They are deep in the trenches & I am honored to be sharing that space with them. Thank you Jesus for dads & thank you for letting me be Mom alongside one of the best. Love you, P. -C