Dad's and Daughters

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My parents had 4 sons and 3 daughters. I was #6 out of 7 and only the second daughter. My Dad was very gung-ho about having the macho trophy that is producing sons. That is, until he had daughters. It wasn't that he didn't want girls, but rather he hadn't clue what do with daughters. They were just too alien. After having a daughter and feeling that special protective bond of what is Daddy's Little Girl, he was hooked.

Dad had special and individual relationships with each of us. His sons were loved, but his daughters were beloved. Mom was no longer the #1 girl in his life, and she was always a little bit jealous about it. As daughters, we knew what heartstrings to pull to get whatever it was that we wanted from Dad. Each of the 3 of us had Dad wrapped around our finger in a different way.

Just this morning, I remembered something that happened just 2 weeks before I went off to college, the last time I would live in my parents house. All of my older siblings were already off and living on their own. My mother and younger sister were 'down the shore' for the summer (the Jersey shore was about 1 1/2 hours from home and the entire city would vacation there). They had rented a cottage and picked up summer jobs to pay the rent. Dad and I were left back in the city where our jobs were. Dad and I rarely ran into each other. When I would home from work, it was a quick shower and then out on the town with friends. Dad would come home from work after I had gone and would be in bed before I came home. On Fridays, he would come home from work and pack a weekend bag, fight traffic and spend the weekend with mom and little sis.

One particular Friday near the end of the summer, my shift ended at 2 pm. I decided to hit the grocery store before heading home. With what little cash I had I bought 2 nice steaks (I forget what variety) and two huge baking potatoes. This was a favorite meal of both Dad and I. I would have dinner for 2 ready when Dad got came home from work and he could eat before fighting the weekend traffic toward the shore.

He was surprised and grateful when he got home. It was probably not the best prepared meal. It may have been slightly overcooked, but Dad thought it was the best meal he had in ages. We sat and ate and talked. Time was slipping away and Dad knew that he had to get on the road. He didn't want to leave. So about the time that mom would be expecting him to pull up, he called her to say he wasn't coming. That he was going to stay home with me instead.

Needless to say, Mom was pissed. And jealous. Dad was in trouble, but he didn't seem to care. Not that any man revels in his wife being angry with him. He just said "It's worth it". We had a great weekend together doing nothing exciting. I still had to go to work and I did spend time with friends, but we also spent time just hanging out for a few hours in between.

I have always treasured my relationship with my Dad. It meant so much to me to know how much I meant to him.

Now I get to watch my 4 daughters and there relationship with their dad. I get to see how each of them have him wrapped around their finger in a different way. I watch how they each know how to pull his heartstrings to get what they want from him. I see the way he looks at them, and I am not at all jealous.