Confessions of a Jealous Mom

It’s confession time.

Sometimes I’m jealous of my husband because he  can do no wrong in the eyes of my girls.    I’m glad.  Really, I am. But there are those days when nothing I say is right.  Times when I get on their nerves because I’m  breathing.  Times I worry that they are  making the mistakes I made so I feel the need to say something….which never goes well.  The mother-daughter relationship is wonderful, but perilous, and in my flesh I often think, “Why is it that he is so darn perfect?”

On the other hand, some of my best friends have sons and I’ve observed their relationships over the years.  In fact,  I just got a graduation invitation from a young man that I’ve known since the day he was born.  He’s been the Frick to my Frack  for 18 years. (That would be my youngest) He and his mother have a beautiful relationship.  Likewise,  the relationship between my husband and his mother was something that I only wish I could live up to.  I don’t know what that’s like  and never will; but I do know that my girls have a similar relationship with their daddy.

I get it, because  I’m a daddy’s girl too.  In fact, when we were newly married my husband probably wondered if he would ever be as important to me as my daddy.  I believe that every girl needs a daddy that will show her what it’s like to be treated with respect and love.  A daddy that ALWAYS believes in her.  One who can’t help but light up when she walks in a room and who will listen to anything that’s on her mind with patience and understanding.  A good daddy will teach a girl what her true worth is so that she won’t settle for less. A disengaged daddy can  leave her starved for attention and love and unsure of if she even deserves it.

So yes,  when I’m being whiny, I can feel sorry for myself because I can’t get it all right like Steve does.  But let’s be honest….it doesn’t really matter.  I can’t imagine my life any other way than being the mother to these particular beauties. Each relationship is different and each brings me indescribable joy and thankfulness.  I know they love me more than they can say and I know that I love them to the moon and back and forever. We have so much fun together and we share things that only mothers and daughters can share. I’m so proud of them and love the women they have become.

Today reminded me of why I’m so crazy proud of the daddy that Steve is, why my girls are exactly right to think he hung the moon and why I have no reason to be jealous.

You see,  from the time they turned  4, Steve had a tradition.  He’d knock on their bedroom door, flowers in hand, and would take them on a birthday “date”.  Part of the intention was to show them how they should be treated on a date.  Part of it was to make them feel treasured.  And part of it was just because he loved having one on one time with each of them.   They had stars in their eyes every year, no matter the age. So, when they left for college, he intentionally made the trip, for each one of them, on that first birthday away from home. Our youngest  had her birthday date tonight. Because she goes to school farther away than her sisters did I really don’t think she  expected to see  him.  But, to see the pictures of her face and to know that she realized he drove 5 hours, one way, JUST FOR HER….that’s priceless.

Yep,  I love my girls and can’t come close to describing the relationship that I have with each one of them. The’re the  treasures of my life and the sweetest gifts that God has given me.  Most days,  they are my heart beat.  If you tell me that they have a different relationship with their daddy, even a more important one, I will say, “That’s as it should be.” Sure,  I may have to remind my “whiny self” of that on a few days here and there, but my heart knows this –  every little girl needs a daddy that teaches her how priceless and precious she is.  Some of us are lucky enough to have had earthly daddy’s that did this and modeled God’s love in a beautiful way.  But, for those who didn’t have a daddy like that,   I also know this – God ‘s heart longs to show you the same truth. That you are loved completely and that you are priceless and precious.  That He longs to spend time with you and that He stopped at nothing,  not even giving up His son, so that you could know His love. He’s truly the perfect daddy.

Being a daddy’s girl doesn’t get any better than that.