Perceptions #200213

"When God Made A Father"

by an Unknown Author

When the good Lord was creating fathers, He started with a small frame. And an angel nearby said, "What kind of father is that? If you are going to make children so close to the ground, why make the fathers so high? He won't even be able to shoot marbles without kneeling, tuck a child into bed without bending, or even kiss a child good night without a lot of stooping.

God smiled and said, "Yes, but if I make him child-size, children couldn't look up to him."

Then God made the hands large and sinewy. And the angel protested again, "Large hands can't manage diapers, small buttons, or rubber bands around pony tails - or even remove splinters from baseball bats."

But God smiles and said, "Right. But they're large enough to hold everything a child empties from pockets, and still small enough to cup a child's face."

Then God molded long legs and broad shoulders. "Do you realize you just made him without a lap?" the angel chuckled.

"Mothers needs laps," God replied, "Father need strong shoulders to pull sleds and balance children on bicycles and hold sleepy heads on the way home from circuses."

As God was in the middle of creating two very large feet the angel could contain himself no longer. "That's not fair," he said. "Do you think he's going to be able to get those big boats out of bed in the middle of the night when the baby cries?" Or walk through a birthday party without crushing at least three of the guests?"

But God smiled and answered, "They'll work. You'll see. They'll support a small child and scare off the mice at the summer cabin."

God worked on, giving the father a firm authoritative voice, observant eyes, a calm and tolerant disposition. Then, almost as an afterthought, He added tears. He turned to the angel and said, "Father and Mothers are different, but they need to be able to love the same."

The angel said no more.

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