And a Tear Fell: A Father Daughter Story

We went into San Francisco today, watched a play at the Children’s Creativity Museum, had lunch at the Metreon, took a picture with Santa and bought some ornaments in Santa Land inside the Macy’s on Union Square, and finished our night off watching ice skaters in Union Square. I want to talk more in depth about trips into the city, but I’m tired. It’s been a long week, so I want to tell you a quick father daughter story and then take my ass to bed.

After a long day, Celaya was emotional from all the excitement, and we were headed over to watch ice skaters.

We came across a regular in this area at this time of year, a giant metallic rainbow colored angel. I have seen this guy dressed like this several times over the past few years, Carlos has chatted him up a few times, but Celaya has always been shy around this imposing figure.

Not This Year

This year, as she and Carlos began to walk past him, Celaya turned and walked right up to him. 

“Do you want to take a picture with me, honey?” The man asked her.

“Yes.” She said. She walked up to him and took his hand.

She turned to the camera and smiled. A big smile.

Because of You

She walked back to Carlos and took his hand. The man, fully cloaked in his costume, said nothing for a minute.

And then, “You know why she is able to do that, right?”

Carlos had no idea what the man was talking about.

“What do you mean?” Carlos asked.

“You know why she can come over to me and take my hand, trust me, and smile big at the camera?”

Carlos looked at him, puzzled, wondering where this was going.

“Because of you.” The man said. “Because you’re her dad. You make her feel safe, secure, confident, trusting of the world. She knows she can always come back to you. You made her this way. You have made her feel so strong when she’s with you, that she knows she can walk away and you will be there when she turns around.”

And tears came up into my emotional husband’s throat, and a tear welled up in his eye.

“Because of me.” He thought.

Yes, Carlos. Because of you.

Angels Among Us

It is so strange when that happens, when a mere mortal seems to imbue the characteristics of what we expect from angels, from our divine selves.

Messages that we need to hear come to us from all angles and from all angels, and in the most unlikely places. I am happy that my husband got this message tonight, and that he was able to let it touch his heart.

Father Daughter

The father daughter relationship is such an interesting one to me. I watch him with my girls and I think about what they will expect from a man someday. They will grow up watching the way he treats me and feeling the way he treats them. He is their first and best example of what a man should be.

Confidence, strength, self love, heart are all things they will develop because of Carlos, not because he necessarily performs them well, but simply because he loves them so.

And it is amazing and wonderful to watch Celaya grow confident, trust the world, love others so openly, in part because of the love she gets from her father.

Merry Christmas Eve