#GIRLDAD

On January 26 2020, NBA great Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash along with his 13-year-old daughter and 7 other individuals.  After this tragic accident the #GirlDad went viral.  Dads were inspired by Kobe to be more supportive dads to their daughters and to share stories of how their girls have changed their lives.

In an interview with ESPN anchor Elle Duncan, she shared with Kobe that she was pregnant and expecting a girl.  Kobe responded with a high-five and told her ‘Just be grateful that you’ve been given that gift because girls are amazing.’  When Elle asked Bryant how he and his wife would feel about having a fourth girl, Kobe responded, ‘I would have five more girls if I could.  I’m a girl dad.’

For the past 10 days, my wife Jackie has been visiting family and friends in Seattle.  Its been a bit hectic trying to balance my normal duties and then my Mr. Mom duties.  I’ve done more cooking, cleaning, laundry, garden watering, carpooling, tutoring and navigating girl drama and emotions, then I have in a very long time.  Lets just say I am all the more appreciative of all that my wife does for the three girls and myself.  I can’t wait to have her back home tomorrow. 

Fortunately, the girls have done a great job helping out.  There has been minimal complaining and maximum volume of talking, laughing and singing.  

The other night the 4 of us went for our normal evening walk with our 3 huskies.  It was that night in particular that I will never forget.  As the girls were walking slightly in front of me, I had a bit of a revelation.  All three girls, Carolina (16), Natalia (12) and Ayantu (11) have either lost their biological father or never had the opportunity to meet him.

Carolina’s dad died of a brain injury when she was 7 years old.  She was then abandoned by her mom and raised by her grandparents until she came to live here at the orphanage in August of 2016.  Natalia never met her dad.  Her mom, Angela, told us that he left shortly after Natalia was born.  Angela has never heard from him again.  We have been caring for Natalia since August 2015.  And then their is our daughter Ayantu Faith.  We adopted her from Ethiopia when she was 11 months old.  Antu was left on a dirt road just days after being born.  She was found by some women walking to work and spent her first 10 months in an orphanage.  By God’s grace, Ayantu joined our family on February 14th, 2011.

As I continued to watch these three beautiful girls walk and giggle, I was overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude.  What an honor and privilege God has bestowed upon my wife and I to not only raise our daughter Ayantu, but to also care for Natalia and Carolina.  It has been one of the greatest joys in my life for the past 15 months to have Natalia and Caro live in our house with us.  They moved in with us when COVID-19 hit Mexico.

I don’t know what God has in store for the future of Natalia and Carolina or how long they will live with us.  But, for the moment, I am treasuring every second and opportunity I have to be a father-like figure in their lives.  I’m praying daily for wisdom and discernment of how to raise and care for these girls. I am searching for ways to have conversations about God’s saving Grace, His Love and how much He treasures and adores them.  And I am most definitely and forever will be, proud to be a #GirlDad.  I wouldn’t trade it for anything in this world.

I want to give a shoutout to my two brothers Joey and Jeremy.  Between the 3 of us we have 7 girls and no boys.  This past Thanksgiving our three families gathered in Nashville for a wonderful time together. We sure do love our girls, Lucy, Mae, Opal, Ayantu, Evangeline, Violet and Nora.