Dads Love in a Different Way

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I watched Jovani hold Micaela, her IV line draped across the couch, her curly head resting on his shoulder. His eyes closed. Soon they were both asleep.
 
I had no idea how he could do that. Earlier, I had attempted to hold our fussy & frustrated three-year old while resting, but had been unsuccessful. The moment she put her head down I would wonder if she was comfortable, if the IV lines would kink, and if there was enough airflow around her nose and mouth. No Jovani, he simply held her and settled into the moment. Micaela loved it. She needed to feel his strong heartbeat and loving arms.
 
As we sat in the hospital after this last formidable seizure that Micaela had, I considered the ways in which Jovani’s love is better than mine. What I discovered was surprising.
 
While this list should be taken with a grain of salt (not all family dynamics, marriages, etc are the same) you might find that some of these describe ways in with your significant other, parent, neighbor, or friend bring another flavor of love into your child’s life.
 

• Love without worry

When Jovani spends time with the girls, his heart and mind are focused only on them. He is not thinking about his to-do list or battling the desire to multitask. He is not worrying about the future. He is only enjoying whatever activity they are doing together. This kind of love comes natural to many males while us females have our thoughts running all over the place instead of staying in the moment.
 

• Love beyond the daily/typical

I’m a stay-at-home mom. Jovani leads a very busy life out of the house with a job he commutes to and farming & ranching on his days off. Even his evenings and mornings are full. So, for the girls, spending time with their Papá is extra special. He also does things with them that I don’t, such as taking Adela to the farm to help with the sheep or saddling a horse so Miceala can go for a ride. Time with their Papá is a break from the normal daily routine.
 

• Love that pushes and strengthens

It is always interesting how Jovani perceives our children. He believes in them and has no problem pushing them outside their comfort zones so they can grow. While I tend to be protective, Jovani likes to do things like taking Micaela outside to walk in her AFOs or allowing Adela to sit on a horse alone for the first time. I learn so much when I watch them play and it helps me loosen up and be a braver mom.
 
If you are blessed to have other people in your life that help you raise your children, think about all the ways their love is different than yours. Sometimes these differences can frustrate us, but, most the time, they are nurturing your children in ways that do not come natural to your own personality.
 
So, the next time your children have the opportunity to spend quality time with someone who cares for them, take a moment and thank God that their lives are blessed with many different kinds of love.

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 (Love) always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 
Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13:4-5

​Can you think of other ways your spouse, parent, parent-in-law, or neighbor gives your child love that is different than yours?