The holidays can be a rough time for a dad especially if he is divorced, it can be a tough time even if you’re married. The economy right now is so horrendous and money is so tight that financial worries can place an unbearable amount of pressure on a family especially during the holiday season. Some families can just about pay their bills. Parents want to make the Easter and Passover season fun for their kids, but unfortunately fun during this time of year means that extra money has to be spent on all kinds of food, clothes, and presents. When a dad just doesn’t have the money he can begin to think that he isn’t doing his job by providing for his family. If a dad is divorced he can be really broke, and he can turn into the bad guy by not being able to provide the little extras that his children are looking for during the holiday season.

 As a dad myself I want to provide those extras but really what I really want is I just want my kids to be with me. Well, my kids are with me right now. My younger daughter Grace is sleeping and my oldest daughter Sarah will be here later this morning. My oldest daughter just found a job. She is 17 and was dying to work in order to make extra money. She got hired on Friday at a pizza parlor and she couldn’t be happier. Friday was Good Friday; well it really was a Good Friday. Today is going to be a good Sunday too. This week is going to be a good week, and March is going to be a good month.

 You see I can’t cry in my beer, not anymore. There are too many good things that are happening to me right now. Oh, there will be some not so good things that will happen to me in the future I’m sure, but in reality the good will out weigh the bad. I just have to convince myself of it, and thank God for what I do have, and for the blessings that he has bestowed on me and my family. So on this Easter Sunday my kids are with me and life is good.

March 3, 2008

 Dear Grace:

 I am sorry that I have been such a poor example to you recently. I have made a few mistakes and I am asking for your forgiveness. I have already spoken to you and I do know that you forgive me, but I want to write this down so I don’t forget. What you think of me means everything and I don’t want you to have a bad opinion of me. Some of the mistakes that I have made I am even too embarrassed to write about and wouldn’t want the readers of this letter to think badly of me, that’s how serious I am about my own behavior.

 I want you to be proud of me as your dad, and I will see to it that you are by the changes that I will make in my own behavior. As time goes on I want us to experience mutual pride for each other, and I believe that we will both learn from one another. I want you to tell me when I am doing something, that bothers you and I will do my best to stop doing it. You can bet that I will tell you, that to me what this relationship is all about. I have said it before, and I will say it again; you are my best friend.

I Love You Dad

March 3, 2008

Dear Sarah:

I am sorry for all the trouble that you have had in school this past week I know things must have been awfully tough on you. I am glad that you called me up on Friday to get you out of school. I wouldn’t want you to be in an uncomfortable situation. I certainly wouldn’t want you to get into a fight or get hurt. I need you to really understand how much you are loved, by me and by your mother. We both love who you  as a person and want the very best for you. Your problem came in when you started kissing a boy at a party about a month ago, not knowing that the boy was dating another girl. I know that if you had all the facts you wouldn’t have done that, but that’s hard to explain to someone who is so angry that all they want to do is beat you up. Understand something, love can never wait to give, and lust can never wait to get. The appealing emotions that occur when you are physically involved with someone are very fleeting and they are just not worth experiencing. I really want you to learn from this experience. Life can be kind to us at times, but it also can be very cruel. Sometimes we can do something that produces life long consequences. Some decisions in life that we make don’t allow us to have a second chance. I love who you are very much. Please start using your head, and don’t place yourself in a compromising situation like this again.

I Love You

Dad

February 8, 2008

Dear Grace:

Has another month gone by already? It sure has and I wanted to let you know that I am standing in your corner with you always. You are special and I mean special. You have such an interest in the things that I do it makes me feel like what I do is important. You come over an spend time with me and always allow me to take care of anything that I have to do, because you believe that it is important to me. You show me such patience. You seem to be telling me that if it is important to me it’s important to you. I really enjoyed working on that history project with you, and Sarah was a big help too wasn’t she? She really loves you and I am thrilled to death watching the two of you grow up together. Both of us have to realize how much we need each other. You really helped me in the car this morning when I was driving you to school, and you reminded me not to finish the bagel. We both need help with our diets, and you are an encouragement to me. I really don’t know what I would ever do without you. Soon soccer season will start and you will be running up and down the field, I really can’t wait to watch again. I love you, I love you.

Love Again

Dad

February 4, 2007

 Dear Sarah:

 I can’t tell you enough how my conversations with you recently have made me feel. Just the fact that you confide in me and want my advice is something that makes me realize that maybe, just maybe I have done a few things right. You know better than I do what seems to affect you, but when you share information with me like you did the other night I realized how much we need each other. I am usually asleep in the chair by 10:00 pm; I was up with you until 3:00 am just talking. There is no doubt that you are the only person that I could be with that keeps me from falling asleep. I should say you and Grace, because she has this ability also, but right now I am writing to you. I love you and everything about you. Please don’t ever forget it.

Love

 
Dad  

January 3, 2008

Dear Grace:

Well, another year has gone by and I feel closer to you than I ever have before. I’ve told you before but, I’m going to tell you again, we are truly best friends. I love picking you up and spending time with you. You are so much fun to be with. I know that you like the stories I tell you. You are such a good writer that one of these days you and I are going to write a book together. We will include in there all the stories that I told you about my childhood, and then we’re going to write about all the good time that you and I have had together. The most incredible thing about you is how you accept me for whom and what I am. I’m not perfect, but who is. You just love me and that I will never forget.

Soccer season will be here soon. I don’t know if you are going to want to play soccer or baseball. It doesn’t matter. You are so athletic that you will be good at anything. I can’t wait until I can go to your games again, it was so much fun for me. I am so proud of how you adjusted to your new school, and how you worked so hard in all your subjects especially math. I am proud of you period and I am sooooo happy that God gave you to me as a daughter. I love you.

Dad

Letters to my daughter is a series of letters that I will be writing to my daughters, Sarah and Grace during the year 2008. These letters will express my feelings for my children, and will be read by them. They will offer advice at times, but the real reason why I am writing them is just to let my daughters know how much I love them. Too often a father doesn’t say enough to his children. My feeling is if you can’t say it, write it. Your children will have them for a lifetime. These letters will be published during the first week of every month. One will be written to Sarah and the other to Grace. Please don’t read them for content. Read them and decide what you need to write to your own children, and then take the time to do it.