Daddy's girl

Thanks for all the great conversation about funerals and divorce--two horribly morbid topics, but obviously things a number of us have thought about.

I just finished reading a terrific book, Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters, by Dr. Meg Meeker. If you're a dad with young daughters, go get this book; if you know a dad with young daughters, give him this book for Christmas. Dr. Meeker combines solid research and years of experience as a pediatrician to help dads see how important they are in the daughters' lives and how their influence can help their daughters succeed. Over the next week or so, I'm going to share some of my favorite quotes from the book with you. Here's the first, on how a dad in a bad marriage can be his little girl's hero.

It's important for every good father to know the impact of divorce on his daughter. Only then can you help her.

Volumes of research on daughters and sons consistently reveal that divorce hurts kids. That's just the way it is.

Your daughter expects parents to stay married. Heroes, in her mind, keep fighting. In reality, though, sometimes you can't. If mom leaves, has an affair, or abandons the family through drinking, your fight is limited.

But whenever, for your daughter's sake, you can fight, you must. How you fight, how you persevere, how you manifest your courage will always influence your daughter. Sometimes perseverance for your daughter's sake means sticking with her crazy mother. Maybe it means sacrificing your own happiness for hers. This is what heroes do. It is what your daughter expects. Making the heroic choice at work, in marriage, and throughout your life will shape your daughter, who she is and what she becomes.