Daddy

My husband dislikes what he calls “Hallmark holidays.” Valentines, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Secretary’s Day, that sort of thing. Regardless of his disdain for this “artificial” holiday (’it’s just made up as a reason to guilt people into buying cards’), I’m going to post this tribute to Mr. Chili, who effortlessly embodies what a great dad should be.

He literally danced when he found out we were going to have Punkin’ Pie. I called him at work to tell him about Beanie’s impending arrival, and he took the rest of the day off to be home with us to celebrate.

He was never afraid to hold his tiny infants, nor to feed, bathe or dress them. I never had to ask him to “help,” he took his job very seriously - and did it with unbounded joy - from the very beginning.

As the girls have grown, he has adjusted to accommodate their needs. He paced the floor, gently thumping colicky baby backs; he played counting games and sang endless choruses of the ABC song in the tub; he installed - and then later removed - infant car seats, child locks, and training wheels; he helps with homework, chaperons field trips, and attends dances. I anticipate he’ll be available to drive teenagers around, to offer boy advice, and to mend broken hearts as best he can with ice cream and together time.

He once pointedly and defiantly - though politely, because that’s his way - told off a woman in the mall. This unsuspecting lady, seeing him with his baby daughter but with no obvious mother around, commented that it was great that he was “willing to babysit.” He babysits his nephews: he does not babysit his own children.

He is equally as comfortable in the yard digging in the dirt with his girls as he is reading them princess stories as he is coordinating little girl birthday parties. He is a hands-on, participatory Daddy.

He doesn’t buy the girls baseball gloves if that’s not what they want; he’s “babysat” dolls and has sat down for tea parties. He’s not trying to turn his daughters into the girls he wants them to be, but is perfectly happy letting them decide what they need from him, and then giving that to them.

He is an amazing husband. He loves me openly, fiercely, and with a sense of humor, and the girls see that every single day. He’s setting an excellent example of not only how a good father behaves, but how a good husband behaves. I fear that the girls will never find his equal in their own spouses; he’s setting the bar pretty high.

There are only a precious few men who nail the Daddy thing. Mr. Chili understands how desperately important he is to his children, and his entire life is informed by the priority he places on his family. There isn’t a single thing he’s not doing right, and we love him even more than we can say.