Monday, August 22, 2011

A Letter to my Little One

I know, I know, I know, you are not a little girl. I know. I've seen your shoe size! No little girl could consume the amount of coffee that you do and live. Small girls do not have hundreds of friends on Facebook and they certainly don't own a pair of man hooking shoes as you do.

I get it.

Even though you are tall and lean and own college books and made the Presidents list throughout school last year, you will always be my little girl.

Anyway, this post is not about you being your Mommy's little girl.  This post is about you being Daddy's little girl.

It's an entirely different subject.

Before I go too far, you need to realize my darling daughter, that your Father use to be a young man. He use to have a motorcycle. He drove his camaro too fast. He used his powers for evil, instead of good...if you get my meaning. Back in the day, your father...well, he was a bad boy. Not "jail" bad boy, but bad enough that all my friends thought I was crazy to go out with him.

And you know how Grandma and Grandpa felt about my marrying him!

With that in mind, I think you'll kind of understand why he gets a little nervous when you say that you might travel to India or England or Russia or anywhere he can't drive to. It's hard for him to let you grow up. After all, he has spent all these years protecting you.

Daddies are funny that way.

This trip that you are considering will be difficult for your Father to grasp. It's a big, scary world out there full of bad men.

Human trafficking

Marketplace Bombs

Earthquakes

Terrorists

Tidal Waves

Good looking young men who speak a foreign language.

I think you get my point. When you say India all Daddy hears is

"Kidnapping of blond American under investigation," report at 11:00

If you mention Russia, Daddy's mind screams:

"Blond American woman, age 19, sold into human trafficking ring." News at 11:00

And you know it's true. The world is a dark, tragic place full of despair and mayhem. 

But it's also a place of beauty and wonder. There are sites to see and new people to meet. You are at an age when you should have new experiences. You should follow God's leading. You should make your own decisions. 

I'm not saying that you shouldn't be careful and I'm certainly not saying that you shouldn't consider Daddy's opinion. What I am saying is that you should GO!

GO! See the world.

GO! Meet new people.

GO! Learn new things.

Now is the time! 

And please don't worry about Daddy. I'll take care of him. 

After all, we girls gotta stick together, but don't think I won't miss you. Don't think my mind doesn't scream a bit too. It's just that this window of opportunity is short and I don't want you to wonder what if. I don't want you to ever feel like you missed out or that we held you back. 

So GO! FIGHT! WIN! and call me when you get back dahling!






4 comments:

Island Rider said...

I think you and your husband have a similar story to husband's and mine. Bad boys always win the good girls heart in the end. And it is so much more fun!

As for girl, it was bad enough letting my boys go off into the world. I cannot imagine letting a daughter go. But, you are right, she needs to do it. God will use the experiences to make her into the woman He wants her to be.

I spent a semester in Israel while in college. I thought my parents would go crazy, but they survived. You and your husband will too. Just disconnect the Internet and the TV and cancel the newspaper while she is gone!

Darrell Michaels said...

NOPE! Definitely with Dad on this one. Girl needs to stay home where it is safe and Dad's shotgun is readily available to protect her!

Roo said...

I love Island Rider's last line..."Just disconnect the Internet and the TV and cancel the newspaper while she is gone." If only it were that easy to shut out the bad stuff in the world.

It sounds like girl has some wonderful adventures ahead of her. There are many people in the Internet world that will be wishing the best for her as well as Mom and Dad.

GO! Conquer the world and know that many of us will be waiting to hear of your conquests.

Darrell Michaels said...

No no NO! Don't you mommies know that us daddies can't protect our little girls if they wander off to other towns, let alone other countries?