This morning found me awake in the very early hours before daylight as the apparent result of too much pizza and garlic sauce last night. That hour and a half awake just happened to be about the same time a very special event took place 26 years ago. February 1, 1986 was another time I was awake in the very early morning hours. That was the day God blessed me with the wonderful gift of a daughter! Tiffany came into this world a tiny little bundle of wonder with a cute little round face and instantly captured Daddy's love. She joined father, mother and brother to complete our family of four and began her adventure called life.
Being a concerned father and conscience of the delicacy of a sweet little girl, I'd carefully explained to our 17 month old son, Heath, that he would need to be very careful and easy with his new sister and help to take care of her. Their mother and I spent the next few years doing all we could do to keep that "delicate" little girl from killing her brother. For example, one day when Tiffany was about six months old, we heard bloodcurdling screams coming from the next room and ran around the corner to find our little girl on top of Heath. He could not move or get her off and was screaming his poor little lungs out. So much for protecting her, we found we needed to protect him more so!
As she grew and developed, Tiffany exhibited strength in many ways beyond physical strength. She showed resolve and determination to accomplish things she desired to do and to develop the talents that begin to show brilliantly through as the years flew by. That resolve and determination could often be more along the lines of stubbornness and being strong-willed – traits that have in a lot of ways been an asset for her in the pursuit of a very good college education. But, as her father, there were some special times that I saw when the "little girl" came out in her. They were particularly special to me because those were the times when the daughter that fought against closeness to her father so strongly, needed Daddy and no one else would do. Those were times when she had been deeply hurt by something or someone in her life and Daddy was there ready to comfort and encourage her and tell her things would be alright. Those are times this father will always cherish!
So today I think about the blinding speed with which these last 26 years have flown by and the magnificence of watching my little girl change into the beautiful, talented and successful young woman she is today and thank God for His gift!
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