And I almost missed it

Dads only get one chance for a first dance...

Jenna,
The other day I was rushing around, getting you, Megan, myself, and everyone except your mother ready for church. You are about 3 1/2 years old at this point and we had put you in a brand new dress. One that went way down to your ankles. You came rushing down the stairs to show me your new dress and you were so excited. You and Megan particularly like it when you wear a long dress because you can spin around and the dress twirls away from you. Anyway, you called me into the den to show me your dress and said "dance with me Papa." I was in the kitchen and was really in a hurry. You took your right hand and held up some of your dress with it, just to keep the dress off the floor, and extended your left hand to mine. And said again, "dance with me Papa," with a big grin on your face (little voice in my head: one of life's moments is about to happen and you are in too big of a hurry to notice it). I almost missed it. I was in a rush trying to get breakfast on the table. I almost missed our first real dance. Oh, we've danced before, but this time it meant something different to you. And looking back on it now, it meant something different to me too.

It was in the way you were holding your dress. That long red dress. I took your left hand in my right, and didn't have anywhere to put my left hand. I was looking to put my left hand in your right hand, but your right hand was holding up your dress. Keep in mind how much shorter you are than me. But you knew exactly where my left hand was to go. You wanted me to put it on your waist, and dance just like the people dance in the princess movies. In the movies where everyone lives happily ever after. You were a little princess. So we danced in circles, my right hand in your left, my left hand on your waist, and you holding your dress slightly up with your right. (little voice: do you notice that huge smile on her face? Remember that face, that's the one she'll wear on her wedding day). And for just a few moments, there was no one else. Just the two of us. Just us dancing. It was almost as if there was music playing softly in the background. No one else, just us. And I almost missed it. Our first dance.

I'll think about this day when I get that first dance with you at your wedding. You'll be wearing that long dress, holding it slightly up off of the floor, I'll hold your hand and place my other on your waist. All of the guest will be watching, but I wont realize they are there at all. It will be just the two of us. Music quietly playing in the background. We'll dance, not for the last time, but for the last time that a father gets to dance with his 'little girl.' That will be a tough day for me, but a great one as well.

There are a lot of markers in a life. I almost missed one of them. "Life moves pretty fast. If you dont slow down once in a while, you might miss it." I'll try to remember that next time.

'Your Dad

This and other short stories like it can be viewed here: Short Stories.