"God Willing, If I'm Still Around"

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Two nights ago before bedtime, my daughter and I were talking about the future. As she has a teenage brother she often imagines what life will be like as a teen.

Growing up my God-fearing mother and stoic-realist father both used to say, "God willing, if I'm still around, I'll..." For one parent it was humbling oneself before God, for the other it was a statement of fact.

For me it's a little bit of both.

Two nights ago before bedtime, my daughter and I were talking about the future --- her life as a teen. What she wanted to do included me, to which I said...

"God willing, if I'm still around."

To which she responded: "Where are you going?"

I didn't pause, stutter or stammer. I answered her frankly, explaining that tomorrow is promised to no one (something I rarely contemplated before becoming a parent). The skin around her eyes began to redden and tears began to stream from them, down onto her chubby cheeks. She boo hooed that she would miss me and didn't want me to go anywhere. I remember doing the same the first time I contemplated the idea that my parents could cease to exist.

I smiled and held her tight, wiping away her tears and telling her everything was fine. I explained that I will be here for as long as I am supposed to be and that because she loves me and I love her I will always be with her no matter where she goes. She nodded and put her forehead against mine.

Then she started talking about Justin "Beaver" (Bieber).

E.Payne is the author of Investing In An Emotional Letdown and I Didn't Invented Sex. For the past 3 years he has posted 600+ articles about fatherhood, marriage and everything in between here at Makes Me Wanna Holler.com. To learn more, click here.