There is no greater title, or more scarier one that to be called "Dad". I love being called Dad. I would have never imagined a greater feeling, or privilege, of being a parent of 4 kids on earth and one in heaven.
June 27, 1994 was the first time I became a father. I remember that day like it was yesterday. I remember the excitement of anticipating the birth of Virginia "Ginny". I was so pumped I just about couldn't stand it, then it hit me: Your about to be a father. It's no longer going to be about you, it's going to be about this little one. You will be responsible for taking care of her, teaching her, helping her grow, and she will look up to you for the rest of your life. I began to go from excitement to fear, I began asking myself "can I do this"?
June 30, 2003 was the next time I became a father. This child was born on Brandy's birthday. This is the child that we met but yet will not know until in heaven. It's hard even today to think about that this one would have been nearing teenage years now. This precious one we where able to hold, but unfortunately they didn't make it. My oldest daughter knows of this child but our others do not. This is my baby that I never got to feed, see crawl, walk, or talk. We do not know whether it was a boy or girl, but it was irrelevant. One day I will meet this child again, and I will know them then.
November 10, 2006 was the year the twin where born (Rebekah and Samantha). If you think it is scary when you find our your going to be a parent, it's even scarier when you hear, "hey, there is two in there"..... Father of twins. What a journey it has been to have twins. I remember the first night we took those two home, brandy or I neither one slept a wink. We had bracelets made to put on their ankles because we where afraid we would not be able to tell them apart (even though they where fraternal and not paternal, in other words they where not identical). There where days when two infants seemed like too much, and yet there where days when I beamed with pride in having twins. Two learning to crawl, two learning to talk, two learning to walk, two learning to feed themselves, and two loving on you at the same time.
March 3, 2010 was the year of my last child. On a snowy march morning we went to the hospital to welcome Olivia into the world. My little "mini-me", my little shadow. I remember this is the year I lost my Grammy and gained my Olivia. Grammy was in the hospital with what they thought had been a stroke at the time. The released Grammy to go home while we where in the hospital after Olivia's birth. You would have to know my Grammy to appreciate this, but she refused to leave the hospital until she saw her "Katie". Don't ask me why, cause I'm not sure but she wanted to call her "Katie". Olivia's full name is "Olivia Kate". So, I loved my Grammy so much that I allowed her to... of course.
As I sit here and write this blog I can reflect on how great it is to be Dad. I can hear my 4 Girls upstairs doing "who knows what" but it is definitely loud, and all I can think about is how great it is to not just be called their Dad, but to actually be their Dad.
Anyone can be a father, but it's another thing to be their Dad.
Psalms 127:3-4
I am a blessed Dad of 4 beautiful daughters, of whom each one of them are so special to me. God has granted me the privilege and responsibility of raising 4 daughters for Him. I love to get a text from the oldest saying "I love you miss you or I miss you", I love to come home and have my girls run up to me and wrap their arms around me and say "I love you" or "I missed you", I love getting together with my kids at night and doing our little Bible study or prayer time, I love summer afternoons of taking my children to the river to play, going on a hike, or going for a swim. I love my nightly hugs and kisses from my children. I love coming home after a long day and seeing those beautiful and innocent faces that love me just because they want to.
I could have never imagined being a Dad would ever be so great.
Happy father's day and happy father's day to my Pops!!
Chris
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