A couple nights ago, between doing the YMCA (hard to imagine, I know), the Cupid Shuffle (hopefully no one videoed that) and the Conga Line (have mercy) with my daughter, I had opportunities here and there to stand back, sip on a glass of punch and survey the scene as my daughter careened around the floor with her friends between songs.
This was a gathering filled with both the awkwardness of dads who don’t, can’t, or shouldn’t dance (like me) 🙂 and the blossoming beauty of young girls exploring the mysteries of makeup, exquisite hairstyles, junior heels and glitter…lots of glitter. Much to the delight of the throngs of these little girls, I saw several things I thought were pretty cool:
First, I saw dads who were heroes for their daughters…dads who opened doors for their little girls, escorting them hand-in-hand…dads who made the night “girl-centric,” serving them cake and punch amidst the wonder and beauty of their special time in the presence of junior royalty.
I saw dads dressed to the nines for their date, wearing clothes maybe rarely seen, yet wielded specifically in honor of their daughter…a detail not lost to the eyes of their junior valentines. Smiles beamed and hearts were warmed as handsome daddies took commemorative photos with their beautiful little girls…photos highly prized by those same girls as the framed photographs were displayed on the table to be picked up.
Dads also danced with their girls, throwing caution to the wind and simply having fun much to the amazement of ones who may never have witnessed dad without some kind of beat-laden inhibition. As the Ball continued, some dads even literally swept their daughters off their feet in a frenzy of twirls, dips and spirited box steps, overcoming the vast difference in height with beautiful grace and precious affection.
Then, near where I was standing, there was a dad singing to his daughter…a sound undoubtedly lost among the loud music, screams, laughter and squeals of all those under the age of 11. Even through that though, I noticed the girl did not take her eyes off her dad as she strained to watch his lips move to the words while the bright lights flashed all around, drinking in every moment of her father’s undivided attention.
Why did I stop to revel in those sights and sounds? If you know me, you know that one of the causes I aggressively champion is that of fatherhood. Last night, I saw dads really being dads…an art diminished and downplayed in our culture among the busyness, stress and “progressivism” of our society. To the men that darkened the doors of the dance the other night, I tip my hat to you. The 2-hour investment you made in the life of your girl will live in her heart for many years to come.
Landon <><
Photo Credit: Jason Leung via Unsplash.com
