Father Daughter Dance

Tonight my husband, Eric, took our youngest daughter to the Father/Daughter Dance.  The Girl Scout Council that both of my daughters are members of have a dance every year for fathers and daughters.  It has proven to be a great activity for my daughters.  Every year my girls have looked forward to participating in this fun event.

My husband does not always look forward to or have fun at the dance.  The first year, Eric really did look forward to the dance.  Like him, I was excited about the dance.  My daughter had a beautiful dress, I bought a corsage, Eric wore a suit and I took pictures.  I had visions of them dancing together, daddy and daughter.  It was a preview of the Father/Daughter dance that would occur at their future weddings.  In my mind, Father/Daughter dance was the perfect Hallmark moment that I was not a part of, but that was okay because it was going to be a bonding activity for my husband and daughter.  I could not have been more wrong about what the dance really was all about.

My dear husband came home 2 hours after the start of the dance.  He was sweating and crabby, and a bit disappointed.  It turns out that Father/Daughter Dance is not the Hallmark Movie event that I had pictured.    Instead, the daughters, immediately abandon their fathers for their friends. Any dancing that occurs, happens between the girls, dancing with each other.  Because they are young girls, a lot of screaming also goes on.  Young girls and screaming go hand and hand.  As we all know, dads do not always have a lot of patience for unnecessary screaming, especially from 300+ little girls.  Additionally,  because there are so many people in a small space, it gets very hot, causing all of the dads to sweat.  All of these components made it difficult for my husband to have a good time that first year.  Year after year he remembers that first dance, and year after year, history repeats itself.    

One thing did change this year that makes me a little sad.  My oldest daughter, Hannah, chose not to attend this year.  She was so excited to go, we bought her a dress and discussed how she would do her hair.  She left for school this morning, excited for the this evening's dance.  When she returned home from school today, Hannah informed that none of her friends were going to the dance, so she did not want to go either.  I could have forced her, but chose not to.  Instead, Eric took Maeghan alone and off they went.

Thank you Eric for participating in an event that you really do not like year after year for no other reason than your love for your children.  Year after year, you go with a smile, knowing that you will be ignored by your date.  Stuck in a hot corner, reading your blackberry and praying for relief from this obligation.  I know that you will go every year, until our dear Maeghan opts out because her friends are not going anymore, not even considering that it is a Father Daughter dance, not a friend dance.  You are a trooper and we are lucky to have you.