Tuesday, June 29, 2010




Having girls rocks!


When I was very young, and had no thought of kids at all, I saw the movie The Prince of Tides. I don't remember what the movie was about, but I remember that for the first time I thought, "If I ever have kids, It would be ok to have girls" In the movie, the main character, Nick Nolte, had three beautiful grown daughters. I have four. They are in various stages of grown. They are all spectacularly beautiful, amazingly unique, and, for me, an endless source of fascination. When you have all girls you get to make this expression like "oh, all girls, what luck". As if you were some how dealt a tough hand. But the truth, at least for me, is that girls are what I want. I have tried to figure out what this is all about. The only answer I can come up with is - frankly - it hasn't been so great being a boy. It is not as if I have all this great maleness I want to pass on to a mini me. Maybe it's just a grass being greener thing, but being a girl always seemed like a better deal. I seriously do not know how I would relate to a boy. My daughters are boy enough when I want some one to play catch with, or go hiking or out in the canoe. My older girls can out sports me any day. My arm is recovering now from playing catch with my 14 year old. I like being dad to daughters. I want to be the father figure in their lives. I want them to think of me as the masculine figure, to get that energy and those examples from me. I want to be the person that provides for them the formative concept of what a man is. I hope and prey they will experience that as a show of respect for them. As a protector and a comforter. And as a nurturer.

2 comments:

Mary Bergfeld said...

Your girls are very fortunate. I'm so glad you stopped by my blog today. For the record, being a girl is great but the world was designed in such a way that we all get our share of "whatever."
There are young women who don't have male role models such as you provide for your daughters and they forever swim against the stream trying to get things right. Have a great evening. Blessings...Mary

Linda Pendleton said...

It's so important for girls to have a solid, caring father figure in their lives...and it really does mold them and what they will look for and expect in their future in their male relationships.

Good for you, Randy...and your daughters are lucky to have a father who cares...and shares...