Girl Dad

Girl Dad's Shirt

Hello to all,

A boy mom is a woman fortunate enough to raise only boys. There are many videos of these mothers celebrating the joys of raising boys. This includes, but is not limited to, jokes about bodily functions, constantly fighting, and rarely bathing. When pushed to their limits, the boy hugs his mom and tells her how wonderful she is, and all the anger melts away.

Recently, while grocery shopping, I spotted a man wearing a T-shirt that read, “Pray for me, I’m a girl dad.” Standing near him were a seven-year-old and a four-year-old girl, accompanied by a third girl in a stroller. I felt compelled to hug this man in solidarity for raising three girls with all their heartache and joys.

I explained that I, too, was a girl dad. There are my daughter, wife, and mother-in-law living in our house. Then I remembered that even the dog is female. He smiled and mentioned his dog was also female. I hugged him again.

I told him about the time I was watching a baseball game when, in the middle of the second inning, the game went blank. The next thing I remember is feeling a brush gently rubbing my fingernails. My right eye opened first to see my daughter, maybe five at the time, painting my nails her favorite color. Lucky for me, she only had pretend nail polish. He lived through a very similar experience.

We had a friend during her early life who had three boys about the same age. She complained one day about their rambunctious behavior. I offered to trade one daughter for three boys for a day, maybe a weekend. He laughed at the notion, but still the thought intrigued him. His wife laughed at the thought.

I didn’t think of it at the time, but I was a member of D.A.D.D., Dads Against Daughters Dating. This group had rules for boys dating our daughters, to which my teenage daughter rolled her eyes at. I hope this stranger can find a support group to help him cope with the realities of raising girls into strong, independent women.

Perhaps, us girl dads should make some videos of the joys and frustrations of raising girls.

Grace to all,

Danny Mac