DAUGHTERS

So fathers, be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
So mothers, be good to your daughters too

Lyrics by John Mayer

There’s one thing I can safely say that I regret not having in my life. A daughter. Timing is everything and for a myriad of reasons that make for good writing, I never had another child after Andy. Don’t get me wrong, I know I’m fortunate as hell to have the best kid in America (hey, I’m his dad; am I gonna say anything to the contrary?). But I think Andy’s life and my own would have been enriched with the presence of a sister/daughter. Throughout his life, he’s always enjoyed girls. It makes me wonder what kind of big brother he would have been to his little sister. And it makes me wonder what kind of father I would have been to my daughter. Let’s face it; boys for guys are easy. I don’t know, but I think having a daughter would have been more challenging for me.

I had all this spinning around in my mind yesterday during Andy’s all-day birthday party. He invited two friends to spend the day with us at the resort. He invited his next-door neighbors. A sister pair who became instant friends with him since day one. And so my friends, I got to play fantasy world. I had three kids for the day. One boy and two girls. The experience was awesome. I got to play, supervise, and observe. The kids were great. It was as if they could have been brother/sister although I suspect if they had, there would have been at least some fighting involved. Andy would have been a great big brother, I’m convinced. The girls were sweet and so well-behaved. They played like boys only a bit softer, I think. Less competitive perhaps. Their eating habits were similar, and they were sure attentive to what they wore and accessorizing. Yeah, it would have been interesting having a daughter. I’m glad I got to experience what it may have been like, if only for a day.