Grace’s Confessions: I still love my dad

Next week I celebrate my first birthday. I don’t really feel any different than I did last month, and I doubt that I will feel different next month, but I do seem to be getting bigger.

I can crawl now. I’m not very quick, but who needs to get anywhere in a hurry? I don’t walk, though. Walking seems crazy. Its not so much the walking part, but more the falling part. I don’t mind not falling, so crawling will do for now.

Mom tells me that to celebrate I will have a birthday party. It sounds pretty exciting. Apparently I get cake. I don’t know what cake is, but my 2 older brothers and my older sister seem to really like it, so I am sure I will like it too.

The party will be fun, except there is one problem, my dad will be out of town on my actual birthday.  Someone asked him to go to a meeting in California on July 6. It sounded like a great opportunity, so he said yes, but unfortunately it never occurred to him that it was my birthday.

Mommy seemed a little bit upset when he told her. I was kind of sad too. It did hurt my feelings a little bit.

Did he forget me? Why would he forget my birthday? Does he really love me?

And then I decided that those questions were silly. I know that Daddy loves me. He tells me almost all of the time. He kisses me on the cheek and then I laugh and kick my feet.

When the people in San Diego asked Dad to come visit, he just didn’t think about it. He was probably really busy and its hard to think of everything when you are busy. Sometimes I forget to swallow my food while its still in my mouth because I am so busy playing, and then the food falls out onto my face.

I decided that I would choose to forgive him. Why would I want to hold a grudge? He is my dad. I know that he loves me, even if there are times when he does not act like it or when he forgets my birthday.

I refuse to judge him based on one simple mistake. I know that he will make more, but I will keep forgiving him and assume the best of him.

When he asked me to forgive him, it was easy to say yes.

Plus if I didn’t, the rest of my childhood would be tough for both of us.

Do you ever hold grudges? Leave a comment about it by clicking here.