Tiny shoulders wrapped in fairest skin. The lightest wisps of wavy hair. Clear eyes and rose bud lips flutter and twist with the wonder of excitement. There are dreams in these hearts and big ideas in these little heads!
I sit day after day watching this beauty of girlhood whirl all around me, and I hope with great confidence that one day these little infant goddesses will find a man like their father who will recognize who they are and treat them like a Queen!
I remember as a teenager feeling so angry and embarrassed when my dad would give my boyfriends that "disapproving" look. What I didn't fully grasp at the time was this innate sense of protection and desire for your daughter to have "only the best".
One of my very fondest, most tender moments with my father was in the Salt Lake Temple after I was sealed to Tyler for eternity. He took both of us in his arms, and with tears in his eyes, told us how proud he was of us that day. I could sense the difficult surrender of handing my care over to another man, but I could feel even more, his respect for and confidence in this man who just covenanted with God to treat me like a Queen!
While we were dating, Tyler handed me a note in church one day that said, "If you marry me, I will make all of your wildest dreams come true". It was a funny note, but I knew he really meant it.
We just celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary and my sweet husband surprised me with tickets to see Andrea Bocelli in concert! A dream of mine for 13 years now! I first heard him sing on a PBS special while I was a nanny in California. I was 20 years old at the time, and my young adventurous heart was spell bound by the powerful voice of a man who could not see his audience. The beauty of his performance was not only in his voice, but in his presence. He is blind, and if you've ever seen him sing, you will know that his disability is a part of what makes him great. He is not a theatrical performer. He stands in one place, hands to his sides and simply sings.
Being there in the same space as Andrea Bocelli was exactly the dream I envisioned it to be. It was an experience, a witnessing of greatness -- something I will never, ever forget.
After the concert, Tyler and I sat in a romantically lit restaurant, surrounded by our fellow concert goers. There seemed to be a collective reverence and excitement for what we had all just experienced. I heard a gentleman sitting next to us whisper to his wife, "I hadn't expected to feel the emotion I felt as I heard him sing."
Our perfect evening was punctuated with the most perfectly delicious meal we have ever shared, and I knew, as I looked across the table, that my dad's wishes for his daughter were coming true. Not just in fancy concerts and fine dining, but in a heart that is willing to give and sacrifice for my happiness. A heart set on keeping his most sacred promise to love me, protect me, and "make my wildest dreams come true."
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