Opening Doors

Long before I knew who God was….or Jesus, or Harry Connick Jr., or my husband and my son, there was a special man in my life who taught me about love.

He still does.

I feel so blessed to have the father I have. I think most little girls look to their fathers for acceptance, guidance, encouragement, protection, validation and most of all, love. This role as daddy, to an innocent bright-eyed child, is such an important role. Some can get it very wrong, and because we are all human, all will fail now and again, it’s just inevitable. My best advise for that is forgiveness.

But my dad…he’s the original Valentine of my life.

I grew up ‘daddy’s girl.’ I’d like to think I still am and always will be. Of all the wonderful things my dad has done for me, I think the absolute most important was opening the door. My dad never let me open a door….to a restaurant, a bank, a grocery store or even the car. If he was there, he skipped ahead of me to open the door and let me walk through first.

He still does.
Every single time.

Here’s what his opening the door meant at age 5, and still means to me at 32…I’m worthy. I’m a lady. I’m loved and I’m thought of. This simple gentleman gesture helped me understand what love is and gave me an expectation of how I am to be treated.

Ok, hear me out, I know that opening doors for someone should be a common courtesy that the general public should do for one another, but the truth is, a lot of people don’t. Sure, some might hold the door for someone walking in behind them, but I actually encounter lots of people who don't even do that.  How many people actually open the door and let someone walk in first?

This week, Shelby had a Valentine’s party at her school. When I walked up to join the party as it began, the kids were outside the classroom door lined up. Boys were in one line, girls in another. The boys were wearing handmade paper ties and the girls donned a crown of construction paper. Two by two, the kids were paired to enter the room. The kindergarten boy was to open the door for the girl and let her walk in first. Then he went over to their “tea party” and pulled her chair out for her so she could sit down.

My heart absolutely melted. There are so many, many reasons why I absolutely love the school we chose for Shelby, but this really is at the top of the list. The manners they are teaching my child back up what her daddy and I are teaching her in the home. I was so happy for her to have this 5-year old boy open the door for her so she could enter first.