Corn Chips and FishStick

FishStick.

That is the latest nickname for our youngest daughter, FishStick.  The name was born from her latest athletic endeavor, competitive swimming.  When asked what draws FishStick to swimming, she answers with refreshing honesty..."you don't sweat".

She's not the strongest.  Or the fastest.  Or the most successful.
But I love to watch FishStick swim.
I love the excitement when she shaves time off her personal best.
I love the determination when she doesn't.
I love to watch FishStick.

Today at lunch, FishStick and I sat down to lunch.  Homemade chili on a snow day, nothing better.
Then my wife raises the bar of awesomeness by throwing a bag of corn chips in front of me.

CORN CHIPS!!!!!!

Corn chips are the kryptonite to my Superman.

So here's the drill:
Chili.  Cheese.  Corn Chips on top.

And then it happened.  
FishStick asked for some corn chips.  
My corn chips.
So I handed the bag over.

I watched as FishStick took a handful of corn goodness and put it on top of her chili.

Just like Dad.

At that moment, I realized something that I too often forget.
As much as I love to watch FishStick, she watches me.

Which left me with this...

• FishStick is watching how I pray and worship.  She has a front row seat to where I place my trust.  What is seeing?  Is she seeing the kind of faith that will leave a positive mark on her life? Is she seeing a faith worth following?
• FishStick is watching how I treat her mom.  She is consciously and unconsciously forming how  relationships work.  Would I let the love of FishStick's life talk to her like I talk to her Mom sometimes? (let me answer that for you...no)
• FishStick is watching how I fall and get up.  Win and lose.  Laugh or cry.  She is taking fervent notes on how I do life.

It's a scary, daunting, humbling, exhilarating, comical, numbing, laugh till milk comes out of your nose, pace the floor in the middle of the night out of worry and fear, love so much like you feel your heart will explode, kinda thing to be a dad.

And I wouldn't change it for anything.

Here's to giving something worthwhile for FishStick to watch.

Peace.