“I’m Just Loving You”

When I still lived at home, my parents, siblings and I often spent time together. Whether it was watching television, eating dinner, or just sitting around laughing at ourselves, we valued family time. And during that family time, my dad used to do something that I found a bit strange. I would sometimes see him out of the corner of my eye, just sitting there, looking at me. And he’d have this big smile on his face.

“What are you doing?” I would ask.

“I’m just loving you.” He’d say.

I thought it was sweet, but didn’t quite understand how watching someone could be loving them. Until I became a parent. Then I found myself doing the same exact thing. One day while my son was watching television, I watched him. I observed the facial expressions he made. I smiled when I saw him smile. I studied his little eyelashes and watched the way he would try and copy the people on the show. I was “just loving him” and now I completely understand why my dad did it.

My dad has always been an amazing father. I’ve never doubted his unconditional love for me. I am thankful that he “just loved me” and that I can now “just love” my sweet babies. I hope I never get tired of watching them, and I hope that someday, they too will be “just loving you” kind of parents.