I love being...Emily's dad

We go through life with a series of titles, which normally point to our relationship to people that we are tethered to in the mind of someone else.  So, to you, I may be Phil's friend or George's boss or your former employee.  But there are a few titles that I wear as a badge of honor.  Over the few weeks to begin November I am writing about some, which are major identifiers to me.  Today, I am writing about my middle child and first daughter Emily.

Of all my children, Emily Grace is the one whose actions remind me the most of me.  While I know this must cause her mother fits, just as I caused my mother fits, I can't help but give a sly grin every time Emily does something rambunctious or energy-filled, when a calm answer may be better.  For those of you who did not meet me until my sedated adult-hood, if you want to know what I was like as a child, watch Emily.  I was talking the other day with a former teacher of hers, who described her as someone who bounced around as if on a pogo-stick, even when just moving three feet. This is Emily, and every time I see her, I long for the days when I had that energy and wish that I could impart my wisdom of harnessing it to her.

But while she may act like me, she does not look like me.  She's way prettier.  Of course, she knows she's prettier and wants everyone to start calling her, "Pretty!"  Her humility aside, I am usually happy to oblige her request.  I want to build her self esteem while it still matters what I say, though maybe I could be better in guiding her in righteousness, I love to make her happy.  Because she is incredibly grateful when you have been nice to her.  She has a phenomenal memory for people being nice to her, and this probably contributes to the fact that she is amazingly loyal.  If you've ever befriended Emily, she'll have your back for a really long period of time.

I think Emily's life is characterized by the fact that she is incredibly driven.  She is two and a half years younger than Jacob, and actually much closer in age to Julia, yet she wants to keep up with Jacob.  She's tried to  live up to that older standard in everything from talking to potty-training staying up late to reading to carrying things to going to big church to EVERYTHING.  She has no inhibition or fear.  She's always been this way.  She started trying to walk when she was seven months old.  Of course, she is small for her age, so when she was successful at eight months and only weighed twelve and a half pounds, it was a freakish look and elicited comments everywhere.

Emily is also a techno-geek already.  Kelly got a new high tech phone, and Emily already has more knowledge of some of the things the phone can do than Kelly.  Emily is able to record a voice message and send it like a text to people from both of our (different) phones.  She is proficient at using a mouse and surfing the internet, and she can figure out how to use our stereo/television/DVD-VCR system.  She's the one who nudges me whilst I am writing a blog to ask if she can use the computer.  She knows technology and how to use it.

And while all of these things are great, the best thing about Emily is that while she may always challenge me and push me to the limit, when she sees a need, she immediately jumps up to try and help.  If I tell her I'm working, she asks if she can help.  She has such a sweet spirit that I feel blessed to be given the responsibility of rearing her.  And while most four-year-old girls have little to think about in terms of marriage, she already has two boys who have claimed they are marrying her.  So, as I am getting ready to fend the boys off, if people want to call me Emily's dad, that is fine with me.  I am proud for people to know that I am Emily's Dad!