daddy, daughter, and date night

Three years ago BrightSide began taking Bear to the father/daughter dance every February, and it’s something she looks forward to all year long.  You want something guaranteed to make you tear up a little every time?  Watch your daughter’s overwhelming joy when she gets to go on a date with her dad.

BrightSide has been taking Bear to this dance for three years now and it is just about the most precious thing you’ve ever seen.  (Well, precious with a bit of sassy thrown in, because that’s just how Bear rolls.)

In 2013 Bear was so excited to dress up and go out on a date with her daddy.  She put on her fanciest dress and church shoes, added lip gloss and some glitter, then waited for BrightSide to take her to her favorite restaurant for dinner.  He surprised her with these beautiful flowers — she loved them, but she also managed to mention that she’d prefer jewelry next year.  Fabulous, right?

In 2014 Bear counted down the days until the father/daughter dance.  She spent hours talking about what she would wear and what she would order for dinner that night.  She adored her sparkly red dress with matching headband and, as requested, daddy came home with a beautiful heart necklace for his little girl to wear to the dance.  You can see her eyes sparkling as they head out the door for a night on the town.

I smiled as I watched him walk her to the car and open the door for her, then a tiny part of me flinched when I realized someday this would happen with a real date.

This year’s dance marked a turning point for Bear.  It was no longer just a date with daddy — it had become a special dance they attend together, and she wanted to prepare for it that way.  This began with finding a beautiful dress bought specially for her date.  On Friday we had a girls’ night out, eating dinner together and then getting her nails painted at a salon.  A big part of Saturday was spent getting ready for the dance.  We straightened and styled her hair.  After Bear was dressed I helped her put on a bit of blush and some glitter (girlfriend loves her some sparkle!), and she added the earrings her dad had given her earlier that day.

Bear was beyond excited about their special night together.  She felt so beautiful as she waited to have dinner and go dancing with her favorite man…

I don’t know how many more father/daughter dances BrightSide will get with Bear, but the ones we’ve had so far have made treasured memories.  As much as she loves spending time with him, though, I suspect daddy/daughter date night will live on even after she outgrows the dance itself.