Dear Dr. Laura
Sometimes when I come home from work there are dishes in the sink, toys on the floor and abandoned pillow forts in the living room. I usually walk into the dining room to my daughter's paintings drying on the counter and evidence of my son's Tupperware rampage throughout the kitchen. If I start to feel frustrated all I have to do is listen for the giggles and squeals of delight that fill the house. These wonderful sounds bring me to my senses and remind me that my children are home with their loving daddy rather than warehoused in a child care center. They're home with their daddy who fixes nutritious meals and snacks, who paints, colors with crayons, makes play dough animals and reads the book of the week over and over again. Their daddy, who builds pillow forts, kisses boo-boos, cleans up accidents and answers endless questions about the stars, dinosaur bones and a princess's wardrobe.
Dr. Laura I'm not coming home to dirty dishes and messy bedrooms, I'm coming home to happy, content children who did not take their first steps in a day care, who didn't get plopped down in front of the television all day, and who didn't have to compete for the attention of a paid day care provider who would not care any more for my kids than for the dozen or so other kids there. I see my husband's sweet disposition, patience, intelligence and sense of humor through the words and actions of my children everyday. A few dirty dishes in the sink and Cheerios on the floor are a very small price to pay for the knowledge that our babies are loved and cherished by their father each and everyday.
I thank God for the amazing man I married, the man who puts his children first in his life and who effortlessly brushes off ignorant comments from people who no doubt feel guilt for warehousing their own children. My husband doesn't always do the dishes but he changes the oil in the car, fixes leaky faucets, catches spiders, and most importantly, raises our children with love, patience, good values and a sense of humor. I wouldn't change a single thing about him.
D.
