The biggest snake at one of my jobs had a daughter the same age as mine.  One day, by chance both of them were in the office.  They were around 3 at the time.  The other girl gives a flower to our big boss.  Mine just looks him up and down with the same look I have when the full armor is on.  

My girl.  My heart.  My soul.

The number of times I’ve had to talk to her teacher about her personality and behavior.  Don’t get me wrong, she wasn’t a bad kid.  She just had a mind of her own.  This is what leaders are actually made of.

You see, all the people I had to fight taught me what I needed to pass on.   No snakes here, only dragons.

My mother once said that my father’s brother was cursed with three daughters and no sons.  So when I found out that I was to have a daughter, I felt somewhat disappointed myself and wondered if God had also cursed me like so many other times.

But the little girl that popped out had my heart.  I watched her play trombone in her first concert and yes she plays like I did.  All heart.  All in all out.  Damn everyone else and what they think.  Always better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.  Make the stand even though you’re scared or crying.

This other time she played goalie for her soccer team and she made a save that elicited cheers from the other parents.  It reminded me of how people reacted when I made my own saves.  Unafraid of being the last line of defense.

Our daughters save us.