I regularly get my routine dose of Cheezburger. Yes, I check this site many times a week because aside from the fact that I love cats, it is uplifting and it cheers me up all the time. Today I saw this, and even though I am a dad, it sent me a similar signal that one day our daughter will grow up as well and would start hiding those butterfly kisses.
When our daughter was a few years younger, I would still get kisses on the lips, now I only get some at the cheek or on the forehead. She sleeps beside me and calls me in the middle of the night, but soon, she would move to her own room and bed, or maybe it’s just me having separation anxieties. When she becomes a teenager, we’ll be locked out from her room, and then soon, maybe locked out from her life being busy with her own. I am lucky to be a work at home dad and I have more time with her and could cherish every moment we spend together. I would ask for more of those kisses until she reaches that age when she would prefer going out with her friends than spend some time with us at home. I am still lucky I have a daughter, because boys stop kissing their mom and dad at a certain age in their life.
This reminds me of a conversation with the husband of a principal from our daughter’s toddler school. He said that no matter how old he is and gets, he still wants his boys to kiss him and their mom on the cheek no matter how old they are. He also said that you may outgrow and not mean saying “I love you” to your parents, but a kiss can never deny your love for them. Action speaks louder than words as they say, and it is true. Some gestures and values are lost when we grow old, either because we are embarrassed, ashamed or outgrew them. It is better to express your love to your parents in every opportunity you get, not just only on their death bed.
Me and my brother jokingly asked my daughter to stop growing, and as if that was possible. If we could only have kids stay at a certain age for awhile and then let them skip to college or graduation, then perhaps being a parent is more relaxing. lol. For now, I’ll just keep on looking at lolcats and cheezburger feeds.
