When God Created Fathers
When the good Lord was creating fathers,
He
started with a tall frame.
And a female angel nearby said,
"What kind of father is that?
If you’re going to
make children so close to the ground,
why have you put fathers up so high?
He won’t be able to shoot marbles without
kneeling,
tuck a child in bed without bending,
or even kiss a child without a lot of stooping.
And God smiled and said,
"Yes,
but if I make him child size,
who would children have to look up to?"
And when God made a father’s
hands,
they were large and sinewy.
And the angel shook her head sadly
and said,
"Do You know what You’re doing?
Large hands are clumsy. They can’t manage diaper pins,
small
buttons, rubber bands or
pony tails or even remove splinters caused by baseball bats."
God smiled and said,
"I know, but
they’re large enough to hold everything
a small boy empties from his pockets at the end of a day…
yet small
enough to cup a child’s face."
Then God molded long, slim legs and
broad shoulders.
The angel nearly had a heart attack.
"Boy,
this is the end of the week,
all right," she clucked.
"Do You realize You just made a father without a lap?
How is
he going to pull a child close to him
without the kid falling between his legs?"
God smiled and said, "A mother needs
a lap.
A father needs strong shoulders to pull a sled,
balance a boy on a bicycle or hold a sleepy head
on the way
home from the circus."
God was in the middle of creating
two of the largest feet
anyone had ever seen when the angel could contain herself no longer.
"That’s not fair.
Do
You honestly think those large
boats are going to dig out of
bed early in the morning when the baby cries?
Or walk
through a small birthday party without
crushing at least three of the guests?"
And God smiled and said,
"They’ll
work. You’ll see.
They’ll support a small child who
wants to "ride a horse to Banbury Cross"
or scare
off mice at the summer cabin,
or display shoes that will be a challenge to fill."
God worked throughout the night,
giving
the father few words,
but a firm authoritative voice;
eyes that see everything,
but remain calm and tolerant.
Finally, almost as an afterthought,
He added tears.
Then He turned to the angel and said,
"Now are you satisfied that
he can love as much as a mother?"
And the angel shutteth up!
