He wakes up crying out of a sound sleep…”DADA!”

He slams his finger in the kitchen cabinet… “DADA!!!”

I yell “NO JAKE!” when he almost yanks the center speaker off the TV console. His response… “DADA!?!”

He throws in just as many shout-outs to Mama, but I can hear “DADA” from a mile away. 

It’s an amazing responsibility to know that you can be a child’s healer, their voice of reason, and their security blanket, all at the same time. It’s also the warmest feeling you can imagine. 

Go ahead little buddy, Dada’s listening…