You know what’s great about being a dad with one hand?

I still get to tell stories about my kids.

Tonight I was waiting with my daughters, Anna and Claire, while my son Sam had swimming lessons.  All of a sudden my youngest (Claire) runs up to me, just sobbing.  I was sitting on one side of a little picnic table, so she plopped herself down on the other.  “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” I asked.

With tears streaming down her face, she looked at me and said, “Anna says we can’t be bros anymore,” and then she let out a cry and burrowed her head into her crossed arms.

Trying not to laugh, I asked, “What does that mean, honey?”

“I don’t knooooooowwwwwww,” she bellowed.

“It makes you sad, though, huh?”

She nodded her head and then I asked her to come sit in my lap.  We talked some more about it and it turns out Grace is Anna’s bro, not Claire.  I told Claire that she and Anna will always be sisters and that, actually, bros is short for “brothers.”  She BURST out laughing and covered her mouth.  She thought that was so funny.  “You two will always be sisses, though!” I said.  She loved that.

I brought Anna over and Claire explained the meaning of “bros” to her.  She smiled shyly and then apologized.  “We can always be sisses, though!” Claire said.  Anna smiled and nodded and then the two of them ran off to get cookies together.

Literally.  They did.

Bros.

These are the moments that fathers live for.

She came to me with a problem, I stayed calm, I talked her through it, those tears turned to smiles and we laughed together.  It was like the freakin’ Cosby Show.

It doesn’t always go that way, as any parent knows.  But, it’s important to appreciate the times when it does.

It’s also important to appreciate your bros.

Because, who knows when you’re not gonna be bros anymore.

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