Joyous Joy
Before she was born, her mother and I decided what her name would be within barely 30 seconds. It was clear in our hearts that it was all she would bring into our hearts. Joy. And ever since she landed she has been nothing short of what her name promises. Our Joy is an absolute Joy. Always. She has a way of making me smile even if it is the last thing on my mind. At the moment she’s three months away from clocking 3. It has been three joyful years.
One thing she really likes doing posing for the camera and she has her favorite poses. Whenever she sees a phone camera focused on her she automatically strikes a pose. Hmmmm…. I wonder who she inherited this from. Could it be her mother perhaps? Or maybe just maybe from me…….? And I must say as a really proud father that she looks really cute in those pics. I thank God and can only say I got what I really wanted. Not any girl child, I got this one, pretty and cheeky as the mother but tall and strong like the father. I couldn’t ask for anything more!
She surprises us with new antics and interests every day this Joy of ours…. The most recent one is her obsession with makeup…..lipstick, nail polish, foundation. She sneaks into her aunt’s room when she’s gone to school and access her makeup kit. Let’s just say within 5minutes all this stuff is on her face and she looks really funny. After finishing her application business she goes to the mirror and admires herself and her handiwork for a very long time. I am so tickled by this ‘work of art’. And if you dare attempt to wash her face, she doesn’t give in without a major tantrum. I suspect we may have a budding artist in the house. Or what does one make of these painting activities? The next Pablo Picasso perhaps? A father is allowed to dream isn’t he……………..
Once she took her mums nail polish, sat on her small chair then took my foot, put it on her lap, and started painting my big toe with red nail polish. When I pulled my toe away she would scream the loudest. There was no way out of this ‘pedicure’ adventure. So I had to wait for my big toe to be painted red. She proudly admired her achievement once she was done. And yes as you can imagine – there was no nail polish remover in the house! I hereby decline to reveal what I did with my bright red toe thereafter.
Fathers and daughters have a very special bond and a little girl whose father listens to her and respects her will naturally have a healthy expectation of others to listen to her and treat her well. Fathers, we need to pay attention to our children even in the most ordinary moments of their lives.