Milestone Moment!!

 

 

 

My daughter just reached another “milestone” in her life. She is now twenty one.

Her reaching adulthood is bittersweet for me. It is great to see how she is tackling college and preparing for a successful career in teaching. It is not so great to see her less and less.

She is closer to “leaving the nest” and that’s tough for me to accept.

The thing that helps me handle the increased absence of my daughter Marissa is the chance to look back on some of her milestones. I’m not talking about typical milestones: First step, first words, first day of school, first date etc…..although those are fond memories.

I’m talking about “milestone moments” between a daughter and her dad. These are the simple day to day moments that I will never forget. They are the “milestone moments” that will keep my daughter close to me no matter what her age is or where she is in this world.

I remember the first time her tiny hand touched my stubbly cheek and she said “goodnight daddy I love you!”

I remember sitting on her bed and her wrapping that same little hand around my index finger as I read her one of her favorite books.

I remember her sitting on my lap in her tiny UD sweatshirt at her first Dayton Flyers basketball game.

I remember sitting side by side on the couch and watching cartoons and us both laughing at the same parts.

I remember her being asleep on my shoulder as we left Disney World. She held a stuffed Minnie Mouse and her hair tickled the side of my neck.

I remember her jumping up to give me a high five when the Chicago Bears made the Super Bowl. Her head bonked the ceiling fan!

I remember twirling her in the air as Van Halen sang “Jump”.

I remember her reeling in her first fish and asking me politely “Could you take it off the hook, please”.

I remember her being lifted and swung around at an Irish Dance performance and the smile she had on her face after the show.

I remember her laughing as I pushed her higher on her swing set!

I remember her proclaiming “I’m king of the world” as she reached the top of her slide.

I remember having an awful day and her hugging me and telling me “daddy you’re the best” and suddenly that awful day disappeared.

I think you get the idea of why I’m calling these my “Milestone Moments”.

A Milestone is defined as “a very important event” or “significant development”.

The moments I’ve described seem like simple fond memories, but to a dad who loves his daughter they are both very important events and significant developments.

The moments are Important because you never get them back. You must file them away in your heart.

They are Significant, because they are the moments that allow the bond between a dad and his daughter to grow!

I’m looking forward to more “Milestone Moments with my daughter, but no matter what happens I have plenty stored away already!

 

 

 

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