Daddy's Little Hero

When I was a teenager my dad started telling me that I was his hero. He still says it from time to time now that I'm 27 29 32 35 okay fine, 37. I always thought and still think it's so corny and makes me feel uncomfortable in that "I don't know how to respond to that" kind of way. I mean, how could a 16 year-old kid who hasn't done ANYTHING in his life be someone's hero. Especially his own father.


And then I had kids.

Every thing about my 4 yr old daughter amazes me. Every parent believes that their kid is special, beautiful, smart, creative, etc. and that's our duty and our right. I fill with pride whenever she says something smart or sings a song that she made up all by herself. There are so many things that she does that may seem small in the grand scheme but through my eyes it's like watching Beethoven compose a new symphony or Michael Jackson moonwalk for the first time. I'm amazed. It's like.....

She's my HERO.

That's not to say she can do no wrong but even when she does, she does it well.

Sometimes she'll say or do something and my wife and I will look at each other and ask, "did you teach her that?" Most of the time the answer is a unanimous "no". But I don't even care. It's like watching a magician do the impossible. You know there's a reasonable explanation to how he did it but who wants to spoil the excitement of the illusion? Not me, that's who. 

It's only been four years but I already can't say enough about this kid and how sweet, beautiful, smart, funny, creative, caring, and special she is. But all parents say that, I get it. I've heard plenty of corny clichés from parents about their kids, like "It's like seeing the world in a whole new way...", or "It's like I'm experiencing life through her eyes...", and "she's the best thing I've ever done in my life...", etc. But none of it sounds corny when I say it about my kid. It all sounds true.

So when my dad says we're his heroes now, I get it. We may not have cured cancer or saved a school bus full pf children from driving off a bridge but we have done things to make him proud and I guess for parents even the smallest things shine brightly when your children are involved. Like every time my baby celebrates after throwing her ball into the toy box from across the room. As far as I'm concerned she just hit the game winning shot at the buzzer in the NBA Finals.

I get it now.

(p.s. - imagine how the parents of the person that does cure cancer are going to feel. Wow.)