Daddy's Girl?

My daughter has been a Daddy's girl almost since she was weaned. Before she started pre-school, Darrell would get up, get ready and either start studying or making phone calls for church, whatever was on the agenda for the day. When Ashley got up, she would search out her Daddy and drag him back to bed to snuggle. She had to have her morning time with Daddy. After she started pre-school, she didn't have classes on Mondays so they were celebrated as "Daddy and Ashley Days". They would do special little things together even if it was as small as making breakfast together, going to McDonalds for lunch or just singing a song together. They still sing "My Girl" and "You Are My Sunshine" as a duet on a regular basis.

As she has gotten older, the Daddy addiction hasn't stop. If we're sitting in the living room watching T.V, she's snuggled up to her daddy. If I am sitting next to Darrell, but happen to get up for some reason, she will jump in my spot. When we go out to eat if she can weasel her way into her brother's spot, she'll sit next to Daddy. If we go somewhere and Daddy can't go, she wants to call and tell him every little detail about our day. She even has this little competition with me that Daddy is her man instead of mine. She has told Darrell that if he wasn't already married to Momma that she would marry him when she grows up, but since we're already married that just wouldn't be right. No doubt about it. This girl adores her Daddy.

Having been "2nd chair" for all these years I've been amazed at a change that has been taking place of late. Ashley has started wanting to snuggle me on the couch. She wants to sit on my lap if I am at the computer at home. She begged me to take her to get a curling iron last week to fix her hair for spring picture day. She had never cared much about primping before. She wanted this curling iron so much she offered to pay for it! So I took her to Wally World to get the one she had spied out a few days before. I figured if she cared that much about fixing her hair, I was certainly going to encourage it. It had been a battle just to get her to blow it dry when it was cold outside!

Sunday, she was on the primping path again. She was completely underfoot when I was trying to get ready for church. I was actually starting to get frustrated. When I tried to fix my hair, she was between me and the mirror. When I went to the bedroom to put on my jewelry, she was between me and the jewelry box going through all my brooches. When she tired of the jewelry she started checking out all my colognes. She asked if she could wear some so I let her choose. She started sticking bottles in my face to smell. "Honey, I know what they smell like. They're mine!" I said trying to be patient. She came to my closet wanting shoes to wear, so I let her wear my black casuals. When I had a moment free from her, I remarked to my husband, "What is going on with Ashley? She is underfoot everywhere I go today! She is usually such a Daddy's girl!" My wise husband replied, "She's becoming a little lady and I can't give her that."

His response really touched me. I started thinking of all the kids growing up in homes with only one parent for whatever reason, all the boys who don't have fathers to model being a man, all the girls who don't have mothers to model being a lady. Parents are truly important during all stages of a child's life. I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude that God has preserved our family. I am also grateful that at the age when most girls begin to resent or rebel against mom, mine has decided to model after and spend time with mom. The reminder of my awesome responsibility humbled me. I am grateful for my husband's help. I yearn for my Heavenly Father's help. I can't help but pray that my Father in heaven helps me to be a Christ like example for my daughter to follow.

Abba, Father, thank You for entrusting me with this precious one. Help me to be mindful of my words. Help me to be cautious of my actions because my soon to be 13 year old is becoming a woman and she's watching me. Help me to mold her into the woman you would have her to be.