My Little Girl and My 39th Birthday

Amongst the return of our lives getting back into the New Year, post-holiday-Back-to-School routine, I celebrated my 39th birthday last week.

From Facebook well-wishes to calls and emails from family and friends, this week has been an amazing reminder of the support network I have out there. My lovely wife even made me one of my favorite meals: cheeseburgers, onion rings, Caesar salad, and Nutella cake!

(I ate till I felt sick)

However, my favorite part of turning 39 (aside from the knowledge that I'm not 40 yet), was my birthday morning.

I woke up to grab a cup of coffee and start the morning routine of getting my daughters ready for school (see attached note I drew and included in Raina's lunch) before heading up to the StageofLife.com office, when I saw a little square present wrapped up and placed at my spot on our family table.

Looks like a book, I thought.

I opened it.

It was a book called Made With Love for Dad that my wife had bought for my 7-year-old daughter to fill in for me. The book contained little stories on each page about how and why she loves me along with personalized coupons. I slowly opened the book and saw the choppy handwriting of my 1st grader on the front page where she wrote, "daddy makes our home a nice place because he's always doing what he can."

I turned to the next page and the next page and the next. As I read the book by myself in the kitchen with only the low hum of our refrigerator kicking on in the background to keep me company...I started to cry.

Here's what my daughter wrote - each bullet point is a page in the book (and I have not corrected any of her spelling):

• "daddy makes our home a nice place because he's always doing what he can. I love daddy and he loves me."
• "Some times me and my dad play games and its a lot fun. we play lots of games."
• "I love whene daddy gives hugs and thats what I am going too do right now give my dad a hug."
• "Makeing memoris in our family is spesile. it's like makeing a tv!
• "me and my dad always laf together. it is fun. [laf = laugh]
• "I love makeing memories with my dad. I love my dad more than I can tell you.
• "I make a lot of things for my dad once I made him a comic book he liked.
• "Once I broke something and my dad fixed it. I love my dad.

Clutching the book, I then opened up the coupons she made that had been included in the front cover. They read as follows:

1. daddy - I will give you a big hug
2. daddy - I will read a book with you in bed
3. daddy - I will clean my room
4. daddy - I will play a game with you
5. daddy - I will feed the dog and cat
6. daddy - I will set the table
7. daddy - I will clear the table
8. daddy - I will pull the curtains
9. daddy - I will give you a kiss
10. daddy - we will spesile things together
11. daddy - I will go to the atotoryom with you [atotoryom = auditorium / I direct the theater program at Red Lion Area High School when not running my start-up company and marketing agency]
12. daddy - I will go outside with you
13. daddy - I will come for dinner
14. daddy - I will help you work in your office
15. daddy - I will help make breakfast
16. daddy - I will play with Story [Story = her little sister]
17. daddy - I will help make dinner
18. daddy - I will get ready for school
19. daddy - I will do my homework
20. daddy - I will eat my vegtables

I see she saved the hardest for last as I wiped my eyes clear.

So I sat there at our kitchen table, alone, before the sun had risen, waiting for my coffee, with drying tears in my eyes, thinking how lucky I am.

I am a lucky man.

To be loved so purely.

Till tomorrow,

Eric

CEO of StageofLife.com

Here's the book in case you know any Dads that might be touched by it. It's the perfect gift for your Dad. I keep it on my desk in the StageofLife.com office.