When you came into the world, we were showered with congratulations that all centered around the theme of, “Congratulations on the arrival of your daughter!”

But if I could go back to that day, I would whisper in your ear, “Congratulations on the arrival of your father!” Because on that day, as I watched the man I love hold this extraordinary new life in his arms, I knew that you had just won the dad lottery.

Signs That You Have Won the Dad Lottery

• Given any two choices, where one of them is you…he chooses you.
• When he hears you talking in another room, he looks up and quietly says, “I love her.”
• Everything you do makes him proud….really, really proud.
• He worries about you. Constantly.
• He encourages you to be exactly who you are.
• He’d rather spend his Saturday nights watching movies with you than just about anything else in the world.
• He comforts you when you make mistakes.
• Whatever you’re into, he’s into.
• He apologizes when he makes a mistake.
• He is strong when you are weak and he is a comfort when you are in pain.
• He reads to you and does great character voices.
• When you’re happy, he’s happy.
• His actions show the importance of being kind, being charitable, and helping others.
• He always stops when he sees a lost dog.
• He works hard and without complaint.
• He would do absolutely anything to make sure you are safe.
• He’d rather have ice cream with you than eat at the fanciest restaurant in town without you.
• He makes up the most amazing bedtime stories.
• He loves and respects your mother.

And the biggest sign that you’ve won the dad lottery?

You can’t imagine ever finding someone as amazing as him.

So, I sit here today and think back on the newborn you, with your whole life ahead of you. And I say….

Congratulations on the arrival of your father. You’ve just won the dad lottery.

Image Credit:

Stephanie Cotton

The post How To Know If You’ve Won The Dad Lottery appeared first on Advice for My Daughter.