Need More Pancakes?
By: Jean Boulmay
July 18, 2004
Sometimes I wonder if Dads know just how important they are in shaping their children’s lives. It’s a given how important the mother is, but somehow Dads get overlooked a lot. Thinking about Dad has made me realize that sometimes we can be shaping someone’s life without being aware of it.
When I was a little girl (around the age of 8 or 9), I remember wanting very much to please my dad. At the dinner table, I wanted to sit next to him, and would ask him if he needed anything. I would say, “do you need more bread daddy?” or “do you want the potatoes?” I didn’t know how to show him how special I felt he was, so I would try to please him by anticipating his needs or wants. No doubt, he probably got pretty tired of these questions. I do not remember him ever telling me to “just be quite and eat” (or that if he wanted something, he would ask for it). I am certainly glad he was nice about all of this unasked for attention. Because, I would have been crushed if he had been short-tempered with me, when I was trying so hard to please him.
I even remember watching how he ate his pancakes! He would get several pancakes (covered with peanut butter), cut them down the middle, and then stack the one side on top of the other (sometimes the stack was high enough that it looked like it would fall). This was pretty impressive! I don’t think he even knew that I was watching him. But, I can tell you; he had quite a routine going with those pancakes!
I guess a lot of little girls go through a time when they want to express love and appreciation, but don’t know how, except by trying to anticipate needs. When I think back, it must have been irritating to have someone watch your every move (my only consolation is that maybe he was too busy arranging and eating his pancakes, to notice).
A lot of years have passed since I was that little girl trying so hard to please her dad. With maturity, hopefully, I am not such a pest, and have learned other methods of showing appreciation. But, I have to admit; there is a small part of me that wants to know if my dad needs more pancakes!
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