The Best Compliment: ‘He Is Just Like His Daddy’
Ever since the beginning, everyone has always said my son looks just like his daddy. In fact, you could match up their newborn photos and be easily confused if it weren’t for the dates. It is true; he is my husband’s mini-me, but there is a part of me that feels some jealousy when I hear this. If it weren’t for the swollen ankles (okay, let’s be honest, everything about me was swollen during pregnancy!) and scary preeclampsia, I may have felt more welcoming to this thought from others. Pregnancy is a long, trying journey, and I felt deserving of all the credit!
I have tried many times to point out our commonalities: that blonde hair, those blue eyes and the sweet button nose. All are my blood line, but they go unnoticed. His larger more distinct physicalities far outweigh the little bit I was holding onto. At 19 months, he is tall beyond his age thanks to his very tall father and wears the same size shoe as a 3-year-old. He has a little fold on the top of his ears and squints in the most darling way when he smiles. Every day he strengthens his coordination shooting a basketball, and every day he looks and acts more and more like his daddy.
Although I try to convince myself of the qualities of mine he displays, he is without a doubt his daddy’s shadow. The more I look at Evan, the more I appreciate hearing this. My husband is kind and warm, a trait I wish my son to have. He is not harsh; he does not hurt. As a mother of a boy, my goal is to raise Evan to be caring and compassionate. I wish for him to open doors and pull out chairs, just like his daddy. My hope is that he works smarter to get to the top and always asks inquisitive questions. My husband is curious and is always seeking answers to questions he never had. Just like his daddy, I hope he too never loses the quest for knowledge. Jake is wise and is my voice of reason, a piece I hope helps form Evan into a man just as wonderful. In my eyes, my husband is the greatest man I know. He is a hard worker and always provides for his family. His gentle hands are always open for comfort, and his guilty smile will always win me over. Evan is too young to understand how lucky he is to have such a wonderful role model to look up to.
So I’ve learned, it is the greatest compliment to be told “He’s just like his daddy.” What I hear is beyond the physical features and more of a compliment to the wonderful man my husband is. It’s not often he gets love on the blog — he is my best kept secret in life. One day, someone is going to be very lucky to marry Evan. After all, he is just like his daddy.
Do you take those comments as the best compliment? —Jennifer