I’m not sure about any of you, but Kobe and Gianna’s death still doesn't feel real. The one amazing thing to come from all of it was the spotlight on #GirlDads. With all of the posts happening at the same time as MaKaela’s first father-daughter dance, I knew I wanted to celebrate the amazing relationship Michael has with her.
After trying for so long to have MaKaela, when we finally did get pregnant, I just wanted a healthy baby. We learned she was a girl with a very special gender reveal cake. I think Michael wanted a boy, like most men, but he quickly adapted and has been the best #GirlDad I could have ever prayed for.
I’m thankful for the soft spot he has for MaKaela. I can tell the way he communicates with her and even though he is definitely the enforcer of the two of us, but with her, she gets a lot more chances than her brothers.
Watching them together reminds me of my own #GirlDad. When I was growing up, I was a daddy’s girl for sure. He was my best friend and he was just like Michael in the way he treated me differently than my brothers. He raised me to believe I am a rare jewel that should be cherished and nurtured. He let me do almost anything with him and along with our Senior Pastor, he was the one who baptized me when I was ready to make my public declaration of faith. Losing him was definitely the hardest thing I’ve faced in my lifetime but I am so thankful that Michael carries on his legacy of being his daughter’s best friend.
As MaKaela gets older, it is wonderful to watch them bond and do things together because they are opposites in some ways. Michael is a man's man and I’ve never met a more girly girl than my daughter but she loves him and respects him so much that I know their bond is unbreakable. They both also love to be social and are very outgoing. I know her stubborn streak comes from him but I admire it. They both know exactly what they want and how they want it. I know things are going to be different once she hits her rebellious teen years come but I know the foundation we are laying with her now, will make sure she always knows she can come to us for anything and everything.
