About Kids....mostly

Pretend
Y’all have kids? Kids are great, aren’t they?
They can provide so much entertainment, just by being themselves.
One day, several years ago, after all the Saturday morning chores were done, I sat down on the couch near an open window, to read the morning paper. I could hear my 7 year old little girl out on the back patio playing with one of her friends. Well, they weren’t actually playing as much as they were just talking. From the conversation I overheard, I assume they were playing “pretend”.

The reason I assumed they were playing “pretend” is because that’s all they talked about! “Pretend I am a beautiful princess and pretend you are a mean old witch and pretend you poisoned me and pretend I died and pretend I came back to life and pretend you didn’t know it and pretend I……”
This went on for what seemed like all morning!

I remember thinking to myself “Holy Crap! Play already!” I mean, when we were kids, we all played “pretend”. Right? But no one ever actually used the word “Pretend”. We played Cowboys and Indians, or Cops and Robbers or some other type of thing. But we just did it!
“I’m the good guy!”
“You’re the bad guy!”
“Bang! Bang!”
“I shot you!”
“No you didn’t. You missed me by a mile!”
(He was lying. I really did get him).
You found a stick and it became your gun, or your sword or whatever. And we played.

But these two girls? They never actually got around to “playing”. They just sat there talking about it! Good grief, if I had recorded the entire ordeal, we would have a script for a daytime soap to last at least a week! I just don’t understand where that stuff comes from.

Certainly not from me!

That same year, my daughter’s mother and I had been married for 16 years. So, on our anniversary I took her out to a nice romantic dinner, real table cloths, cloth napkins, the waiter wore a tie, we went dancing and had a wonderful romantic evening.
We had arranged for the kids to stay at the grandparents house, so when we got home that night, we got ready for bed, she slid in under the sheets, snuggled up real close, and with a soft sweet voice, said,
“Oh Honey. This evening was wonderful. Dinner was perfect and you danced divinely.
And now…
And now....
pretend that we were just intimate and pretend it was really great and pretend you’re really tired and pretend that…..”
(Have I mentioned that this woman is now my ex-wife?)

Daddy?
Kids really make you think, don’t they? Things change over time but I guess we dads just don’t notice it. For instance, when your kids are small, you are their hero. No matter what, those kids love spending time with “Daddy”.
Up until about the age of 10, you are Daddy.
During those junior high years, you somehow become just “Dad”.
Halfway through high school you hear them tell their friends “Hey, gotta go. There’s my ride.”
(So now I’m just their ride?)
When they get into college its “Dude, do you mind? My friends are here!”

I suppose the next time I get a name change, she’ll be calling me “Gramps”, or something.

One of the greatest sounds I know of is when I hear my children say, “I love you, Daddy.”

I sure do miss those days of being called “Daddy”.

You know what I’ve noticed?

You just can’t say the word “Daddy” without the sound of love in your voice. Maybe that’s why the Bible refers to God, our Heavenly Father, as “Abba”. Abba means “Daddy”. And that’s how God wants us to be when we speak to Him. Even Jesus referred to God as “Daddy”.
The Bible says we are to be child-like in our faith, so when we talk to God, it is okay to call Him “Daddy”.
After all, who else can you trust more than Daddy? Daddy is there to protect you, comfort you and take care of you. In your greatest time of need, you can always count on Daddy.

I enjoy spending time with my “Abba, Daddy”.

Blessings....