This is a little love story between a daddy and a daughter.

With Father’s Day a few days away, I have been thinking constantly about my daddy. In the past few years, as I have transitioned from being his girl to being Jacob’s, I have realized all of the ways in which he has shaped my life. He has loved me by being a constant encourager but also speaking truth, even when it wasn’t easy to hear. I wanted to share a little story from the day I married Jacob, almost two years ago.

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I was minutes away from walking down the aisle and the bridal room was all abuzz. Everyone was fixing hair and putting on one more layer of lip-gloss. The church coordinator walked in and said, “I need everyone except Christin!” This was it. The girls who had been closest to me for the past 21 years were going to line up to walk down the aisle, for my wedding. It was so surreal.

The moment the last girl walked out the door, he walked in. He had the biggest smile on his face. We hugged and then walked to the door. I could feel a huge amount of emotion, the most I had ever felt at one time, welling up in me. I felt overwhelmingly happy, but I knew if I said one syllable, I would burst into tears. I grabbed his arm and then looked up into his eyes. They were filled with tears.

We were silent.

He said, “Neither of us can say anything because we know what will happen if we do.”

I nodded with tears on the brim of spilling over.

He continued (without my permission), “But, I want to remind you of the day you were born.”

I knew exactly what he was about to say. He had told me the story hundreds of times over the last 21 years of how he got to carry me up and down the halls of the hospital on the day I was born. He would tell me that of all 5 kids, I was the only one he did this with. He would tell me it was special, and as a little girl, that would make me feel special. It made me feel special on this day too.

We both gave into what we had been fighting and our eyes spilled over with tears. Before he could tell me the story again, the door opened.

It was time.

(Wedding Photos by Bauman Photographers)

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