Facebook reminded me, I wrote this four years ago today.
Little did I know I’d need to follow my own advice.
When you write for others, you write for yourself.
When I write for dads, I write for my kids and myself.
One bit of advice for young dads: learn how to dance!
Maybe you’re like me and some times daydream of times you’ll have to step up and come through for your daughters in some way
One thing I almost guarantee she’ll do when she’s older is ask you to dance.
Not the spastic punch dancing to Raffi or kids songs that you might do at playtime or in the kitchen but the kind of dancing where you hold out your arms and she reaches up and put hers on yours. You put one on her waist and you have to look into her eyes while not stepping on her toes.
This is far more likely than needing to arm yourself to track down bad guys and rescue her from them or even answering a call to come fix a flat tire.
But those seem doable, not dancing.
If your gut reaction to this suggestion is “Anything but that! I’d rather get dipped in acid and crawl through broken glass!”, then you are exactly the dude who needs this because the more you feel uncomfortable with that, the more likely it is doing this will be meaningful to your girl.
My baby recently wanted to dance with somebody, I sent her brother out to do the job (because he’s a pretty good dancer). For whatever reason, he wasn’t feeling it.
Those brief moments watching her alone, just waiting, seemed like forever.
I’m glad he didn’t dance with her because I eventually did. It was my job and my privilege. My joy.
I felt self-conscious and awkward until I focused on her.
It was great. Really great.
It was also too short because the song ended too soon, before I could really figure out what we were doing with our feet.
I just wish I had been ready sooner, I wish she hadn’t had a moment of doubt or waiting.
So, I hope when you say “I’d do anything for her”‘ as uncomfortable as it might make you, that you’ll include dancing.
It’ll be worth it.
