What is my purpose as a father?
I have written many times about how much my 10 year old daughter MJ prefers my wife to me. In fact, it has become a running joke with my friends that my daughter simply doesn't like me. Every once in a a while a friend will jokingly ask, "So does your daughter like you yet?"
I always respond, "Nope. I'm just biding my time until she becomes a teenager and hates her mom."
Both of these are merely exaggerations and jokes. My daughter loves me and I am convinced she will always love my wife (although from what I hear, teenagers' moods and tastes may change with the wind).
She simply loves her mommy more. That is completely understandable.
This reality has caused me to question this dad's purpose at times. On our recent vacation, it seemed my roles were the unheralded ones of planning the entire trip, driving, carrying things, holding things while people were in the bathroom, and running around like an idiot to get tickets for any last minute attractions.
You could basically hire a nameless assistant to do all of those things (or a monkey... a really smart money).
But then something amazing happened.
While visiting Niagara Falls, we took a ride on the Hornblower. This boat takes passengers as close to the falls as possible. In fact, you get so close that it feels like you are in the middle of a torrential storm. (Buying tickets for the ride also involves a dad walking 2 miles uphill both ways in order to get them).
I'm a city boy at heart but the sheer power of the Falls and our incredibly close proximity to them were awe inspiring. For a ten year old girl... this was also terrifying.
During the wait for the boat, we heard that the force of the water was so powerful that it had caused huge boulders to break off from the cliff. Clearly this had happened many years ago... but to a 10 year old, this meant more boulders could break off at any second. (If MJ is reading this, the boulders will not suddenly break off.)
By the time the boat began making its very slow way toward the falls, MJ was incredibly frightened. A few moments later as we were close enough to feel a significant spray from the Falls and 99% of the passengers gasped in awe of the Natural Wonder, one passenger hid her face in fear.
As she trembled, MJ thrust her tiny hand toward me, looked up at me and said, "Dad, I'm scared, hold my hand."
I did.
For some unknown reason, she felt better.
I had found my purpose.
I was put here on this earth to convince a scared little 10 year old girl that I had the power to stop 6 million cubic feet of water from doing any harm to her.
At that moment... I am convinced I could have.
The pictures and GIF from Niagara Falls were taken by me. I am no photographer.
