Posted in Fatherhood
One of the better "homeschool dads" out there is Todd Wilson. He has a ministry called Familyman Ministries where he goes out on the road and encourages families at homeschool conferences and conventions. We met Todd a few years ago when he came out to Colorado to do the Christian Home Educators of Colorado (CHEC) state conference. His heart is for dads and moms and how to lead a family through homeschooling and family discipleship.
He has a regular e-mail he sends out called the Familyman Weekly. I have his ongoing permission to reprint his latest edition. You may find that in the days of $4 gallons of gas, $50 doesn't even fill the tank of an SUV or even a humble minivan. Well, $50 does buy something better, as you'll see in his message below.
Hey Dad,
Just in case you didn’t know this about me, I’m cheap---although not as bad as Ebenezer Scrooge. Now with that said, let me tell you a recent story about how I overcame my natural cheap tendencies to love my daughter extravagantly.
It all happened while we were enjoying a much needed rest from life on the road in Florida. Surrounded by thousands of pale, pasty-skinned tourists, we noticed several princessy-looking girls all dolled up with sparkling hair and pixie dust.
My boys hardly took notice, but all the women folk in my family awed and ooed. I could only imagine how much it cost, and later found out that your basic princess hairdo/makeover cost about $50. FIFTY BUCKS!!!!!
As the days ticked by and we continued to see more walking princess hairdo billboards, a growing prodding began to whisper in my heart, “Katherine would love that.”
I know, but it costs fifty bucks, I inwardly argued! And it won’t even last two days.
But the feeling wouldn’t go away and had been working on my wife as well, because on the last night we both looked at each other and said, “What do you think about doing the princess makeover for Katherine?”
Then my wife added, “This could be the last year that she’ll want to. Next year she might feel too old.”
Sold.
That night we surprised our daughter with the princess treatment. She was overwhelmingly grateful, and as she walked towards me with sparkles in her hair, she beamed.
“Thank you soooo much, Dad,” she said as she hugged her old man.
“You look beautiful, Katherine,” I whispered.
Well, I was wrong. The hairdo lasted 4 days, and Katherine loved every minute of it…and so did I.
You know, Dad, the makeover cost less than a seventh of a tank of fuel for the RV, which barely lasts two days. But my daughter will always remember the night she got the princess hairdo and how she felt loved by her mom and dad.
I’m telling you, Dad, loving someone extravagantly doesn’t have to cost $50. One dad wrote me and told how he brought home candy bars to everyone in his family as a surprise. Same result.
It’s not about spending money though; it’s about using your time, money, or energy to show love extravagantly from time to time. It’s about sleeping out in the backyard, building a tree fort, or taking a much promised road trip. It’s all about doing it TODAY, because tomorrow may be too late.
So Dad, no excuses---just do it!
You ‘da dad,
Todd
PS – To see my beautiful daughter and her princess makeover along with a photo of me after a repair to a roof vent in a downpour, go to http://www.familymanweb.com/rvblog
Spend money? Maybe. Spend time and energy? You bet! Girls want to know if they're pretty in their father's eyes, and I believe that if dad doesn't effectively communicate that to his daughters, they will spend a good part of their "flower years" trying to find the love, admiration and esteem from other men who may not care one whit about their hearts or their minds. Go out there and tell your daughters you love them. Tell them before their flower fades and their heart closes forever. Dad, this father's day, be a father and call your children to your heart. Call them home. It's what daddies do.
