Bedtime Stories

Barbie returns the stare as my gaze rests upon the dollhouse in the corner of the room. The whole family can be found relaxing on pink furniture inside the pink house with a pink convertible parked in the backyard. Child-sized clothes are scattered along the wall from the corner to the dresser by the door. Toys line the top of the dresser, some I have never seen, but can only assume find their origin in Portugal, the family's last home. In front of the dresser sits an intricately-woven basket overstuffed with children's stories. This basket and the one across the room, next to the bed where I sit, appear to have come from the same weaver.

"I found it!" comes the cry from inside the basket next to me. From this basket, boasting a much smaller stash of children's books, climbs Megan with her prize. She hops onto the bed and curls up next to me. As we lean against the headrest together, her head buried in my shoulder, my 4-year-old friend looks like a little princess. The flowing mosquito net that encloses the bed only adds to the effect.

As she opens the book, I catch the disney logo on the front. Maybe we'll read about the adventures of Timon and Pumba tonight! Or perhaps, we'll follow Baloo deep into the jungle with Mogly. Or maybe we'll read about my favorite character, Winnie the Pooh. Megan finds her favorite story, a prinecess story! A fitting story! Why shouldn't an aspiring princess read about a real (as far as she knows) princess?

The story has no title, just the small picture of a princess on the cover page. As I take in the title page and our main character, I realize that I am thoroughly enjoying myself. Megan isn't always sweet, but tonight she is. I suppose my kids will be the same; some days good, some days not so good. By God's grace I will be a dad much like hers. Caring. Compassionate. Slow to anger. Yet willing to discipline because he loves her so much. Much like my own heavenly Father.

Yes, one day I will be a dad too...

I turn to the first page and begin to read. My efforts are quickly halted, "Megan, I can't read this."
"Why not?"
"It's written in Portuguese!"
Nonchalantly, she replies, "Just read it in English like daddy does."

Yes, one day I will be a dad too...