Right now I find myself aware, painfully aware, of how important my job as father has become. With a son my role was to show him what it meant to be a man. I am the role model. If I want my son to be wise, virtuous, and honourable I have to show him that.

However with a daughter the stakes are higher. It is my job to show her how men ought to treat her. To instill in her self worth, a sense of belonging, dignity and beauty. I am for better or worse the first man in her life, and it is my job to create the archetype of ‘man’ for her.

So far I feel as I am not doing so well. Here only a few weeks in I have passed on Pink Eye to my daughter.

So much for being the infallible protector.

You might think of this as silly. That I would equate the two things so closely together. And I will grant you that. It is a little silly. But than again I cannot help but see the parallels. Pink eye is one of those funny illness’ that is both easy to pass on (one touch will do) and eye to avoid passing on (frequent hand washing, no touching your eye or anyone else). I wanted to pass on to her comfort when she cried by wiping away her tears, instead I passed on an illness.

This seems like something that is too easy to do. I want to pass on the best of me to my little girl, but how easy will it be to pass on the worst as well? Too easy I imagine.

I pray that this will be one of the few unintended gifts that I pass on to you my daughter. And I hope you will forgive me for the rest.