“The person I look up to most is my daddy,” the essay read. “The reason I do is that he always says, ‘Never judge a book by its cover.’ He always says that people will surprise you, so let them.”
We are applying for private school (again!) for my daughter, and she had to write a series of essays about who she is. One of the questions was who she looks up to.
I walked in the kitchen the other day after she had already left for school, and I spotted her essay sitting on the table.
I read it and was floored (yes, I cried!).
She chose me. Of all the people in the world. (I realize I am, in fact, her dad, so I do have a competitive advantage!)
But most importantly, she is hearing what I am saying. She is understanding the lessons that we have been trying to impart upon both of our kids.
I have always said, “You never know. People will surprise you, so let them. Never judge.”
For a person who finds fatherhood so challenging in many ways, it’s nice to see that maybe – just maybe – the subtle little messages that I try to convey to both of my kids are getting through.
Here’s another lesson: never give up on communication. You never know what actually gets through, when, or how much of a positive impact it will make in someone’s life!
-J.D.