Page 50 Healthy Cells Magazine Peoria June 2014

I
have graced the June pages of Healthy Cells Magazine

with many
Fathers Day articles, some from a therapeutic perspective and oth-
ers as tributes to my father and my husband, otherwise known as
Dad to our now grown children. This months contribution for Fathers
Day is a natural next step in this circle of life.
On an icy evening in the endless winter, a bright ray of wonder
entered our world. On her daddys birthday eve, our first grandchild
arrived. She is sheer joy. I love to watch her and her beautiful mommy,
but this is a month for daddies and this one is for my firstborn son
who is her father.
I never questioned what kind of father he would be obviously
I think hes pretty perfect so figured a perfect papa would emerge.
But the reality of how that looks in real life is an added bonus. I see
her tiny hand wrap itself around his wedding-ringed finger, and I know
he will be her anchor in storms of life. In that grasp is her safety, her
self-esteem, her view of this great big world. He will be her teacher and
guide. I watch her gaze up at him with those baby-eyelashed eyes that
wait expectantly for his loving smile. He is rewarded in kind with her
reply a smile that competes with the loveliest sunrise. His tenderness
with her makes me cry. I know he will teach her what is right and good
in an often scary planet. She will be a brave little one as she embarks
on adventures of childhood. This papa wont be afraid to say no or let
her know his expectations, but she will also know that she is a princess
of light and the most precious of daughters.
I smile to myself as I dream of what lies ahead for these two. The liv-
ing room will be her stage for twirls and leaps and dancing on daddys
shoes. He will be invited to teas where teddy bears are guests of honor.
There will be rocket launches and campouts and wild unicorn gather-
ings. He will know painted faces and fingers and toes. He will let her
do his hair with very special barrettes. She will learn of the beauty of
dandelions, the magic of fuzzy caterpillars, and how to climb trees. He
will teach her the beauty of seedlings and she will share butterfly wings
and kisses. The tag team of daddy-daughter life will bring miracles and
mastery and tears of love to her mommys eyes.
She is so tiny, still learning to laugh aloud. Her greatest challenge
is uncovering the great mystery of those fascinating creatures pass-
ing before her eyes, which are really her hands. She is at the smiling
with her whole body stage conquering the first major milestones of
holding up her head and now rolling over. She is learning the power of
her smile. I watch and remember all these firsts as they occurred with
my firstborn son. Every second is precious and each moment a new
discovery. These come with the celebrations of first slept-through night,
first dirty diaper that never seems to end, the first stuffy nose, the first
ride in her stroller her first spring day. There are so many firsts yet to
come so many magical memories and wonders. I wont share yet
how incredibly fast it goes. He will discover that soon enough.
I could go on and on but I will conclude this Fathers Day tribute
by saying thank you to my son.
You have brightened my life and brought me much joy. Thank you
for the opportunity to be a part of this next chapter of your journey. You
will be humbled and awed. You will be so proud you will think you have
burst your heart. You will worry to a point of feeling sick, and you will
know joy beyond your greatest expectation. Welcome to parenthood.
And Happy first Fathers Day!
Victoria Mitchell is a therapist at Agape Counseling in their Morton
office. Ms. Mitchell works with adults, seniors, and couples for general
issues of depression, anxiety, and relationship issues. She specializes
in grief and reproductive grief issues. She also works with the chroni-
cally ill.
For more information, please contact Agape Counseling, 309-
692-4433. They are a group of Christian counselors, social workers,
psychologists and support staff committed to a therapeutic process
that minister to the whole person. Their Peoria office is located at 2001
W. Willow Knolls, Suite 110. The Morton location is 75 E. Queenwood
Road. They also have an office in Bloomington, IL. Visit their website:
www.agapecounselors.net.
Photo credit: Ramon Purcell/Thinkstock
The Circle of Life
By Victoria L. Mitchell, RN, LCSW, Agape Counseling
father's day