Dear John...

Re: Parenting Tip #623 from good ol' Dad

Sissy came home from school today and did very well on her spelling test.

I know you are an advocate of good language skills, Dad, and she is doing well in school.

Spelling is sometimes tricky for any kid when they're learning and she prides herself on her ability to sound things out.

You should hear her, dad, she's amazing!

I opened up her spelling test today and there it was--10 out of 10!

PERFECT!

It was a proud parent moment.

But what impressed me more was her bonus word...

knuckle

except she spelled it "knuckl" with no "e"-- because it's silent...but hey she got it!

It was there on the page staring at me.

this great big mountain of the english language and she's mastering it.

Suddenly I could picture you standing in our old kitchen by the stove looking at our schoolwork with so much enthusiasm. BIG smiles and "way to go's!"

and then we'd always hold back the best for last--our most successful piece of work that week.

It wasn't always a 10 out of 10 but to you it may as well have been...every.time.

We'd smile and wait in anticipation as you read the page and then drop it on the counter, slap your hands together and yell "Hallelujah!"

And we'd beam so proud.

It always made me so tingly inside knowing that you saw the hard work and that even though it wasn't perfect, it was a victory!

And you celebrated!!

With that memory fresh in my head I clapped my hands whooped and hollered and ran downstairs to Sissy to exclaim how pleased I was at her test.

And you know, Dad...she STOPPED watching t.v.

yes...stopping watching the screen is a big deal to her...she rarely looks anywhere but at the boob tube when it's on.

AND SHE BEAMED!

I made her day like you made mine.

You were a GREAT dad!

Love your ever loving daughter.