There is a man who doesn't always thing so highly of himself. Someday's he needs a gentle reminder of all that is right in his world... a boost as it were, to make sure he gets how amazing he can be. So when our youngest female child began her latest decent into despair and we managed to get from her that he looked like R and that it worried her that Daddy and R were the same scary person, a plot hatched. A plot of his own making, mind you, no one asked him to do this. He said to me, "what if I shave my head, ditch the beard and die what's left back black? Do you think I'd still resemble that jackass?"
I don't think so. Frankly I don't see the resemblance in the first place, but obviously she does and it's made the last few weeks sheer torture for her. To me there is no comparison between the monster who tried to end her life and the gentle, sweet, loving daddy who has been her world for nearly 2 years. I almost thought he was kidding, except I know him too well, and there isn't anything he wouldn't do for his girls.
So off he went while I cleaned the house, finished up some chores. And then there he was again, in my face, with his very differently looking face next to mine. "is the goatee straight? Is the mustache even?" And it occurred to me he was serious. The vast majority of the beard was gone, the mustache neatly trimmed. O.o. I helped when it came to the final locks of that rich, think, black, mop and soon it was nothing more than a pile on the bathroom floor. Not that he hasn't done it before... just never with such purpose.
When all was said and done, she squealed in delight, that her daddy would do something like this for her. We've talked some, this child and I about what a daddy is and how you can have more than one, how even one who did not have a hand in your creation can be the one who raises you and ushers you toward a successful future. If she gets even a smidgen of the message I'll be good. And he'll always be awesome.
