So Daughters, Be Good To Your Fathers

It's Thursday morning and I just cleverly re-worded a John Mayer song, that's wassup.

People, today's a very special day. It's my Daddy's birthday! And I'm here, stuck across the pond, unable to celebrate the day with him. So I was doing some thinking, started humming a little, and realized I was humming "Daughters" by John Mayer, which happens to be one of my dad's favorite songs. It's really an awesome and heartfelt song about how fathers should be good to their daughters because daughters grow up to love like they do. Beautiful sentiment, right?

But then I thought, as a daughter, I'm older and wiser now. It's time to start thinking about how and why as a daughter, I should be good to my father.

Daughters, Be Good To Your Fathers, because...
1 // You love the way you do because of him. 2 // You were probably the most fragile, important, delicate thing he ever handled as a young lad, and he was probably scared witless at the time, but he still did his best and you still managed to survive for him to tell the tale. 3 // He treated you like a princess all your life, but also gently showed you how to be strong. 4 // He taught you how to drive and parallel park, and willingly sat in the car with you, most likely frightened for his own life.  5 // He ran along with you when he taught you how to ride a bike, didn't let go of the seat until you were ready for him to do so, and when you were ready, he let go but also tirelessly ran alongside you to be there with you if when you fell. 6 // He learned how to brush up a great ponytail, just for the days mom couldn't. 7 // He's been a built-in chef, chauffeur, and bank for the better part of your life, and never demanded anything in return. 8 // He takes care of taxes and paperwork and all of the boring things you just can't understand. 9 // He taught you all you know about sports and the economy and politics, and now you can hold a semi-decent conversation with anyone you meet without sounding like a complete idiot. 10 // He played so many pranks on you while you were growing up that he's certainly helped you build character and a strong sense of humor. 11 // As the father of a girl - he's had to put up with paying so much extra money for clothes and makeup, live through the mood swings, and deal with you being a teenage girl. If that's not unconditional love, I don't know what is. 12 // One day, he'll be the one walking you down the aisle, dancing that dance with you, all the while knowing that there's another man in your life who gets to hold you when you're sad, celebrate you when you're happy, and he'll be thrilled for you all the same. 13 // He'll always be the number one man in your life. 14 // He has enough faith and trust in you to let you go off on your own to explore the world, discover yourself, make your own mistakes, and he's there at the end of the day to welcome you home, listen to your stories, and support and love you through everything that you do.

Happy Birthday, Daddy. I love you more than words can say.