Daughters' Day: A Father's Memories of Tender Moments Paperback - 2011

Filled with joy and tenderness, Daughters' Day by national bestselling author, essayist, and humorist Graham Porter shares the message that parenting is the most rewarding experience anyone will ever have. While it's not, perhaps, all fun and games, with affection and playfulness, each day of being a parent is an opportunity to celebrate childhood moments-big and small-that in the grand scheme of life, are the things we remember most. A lively work of creative non-fiction, Porter's take on parenting is that the key to raising a happy family is to focus on the positive and to always find reasons to laugh and smile. For a father of four, and a grandfather of eight-with each of whom he enjoys a close relationship-he's had quite a bit of fodder. In twenty-two heartwarming vignettes, with titles like "The Adventure Begins," "Home Sweet Home," "The Loving Cup," and "Cottage, Farewell," Porter pays homage to the particular delights of fatherhood, as well as his parenting philosophy that there are teachable moments in every experience. It's been his honor to rescue his daughters from school dances, discuss with them the meaning of God, and care for them as babies. There were watermelon seed-spitting contests, plenty of camaraderie, laughs, giggles, funny evening rituals, and the family's first vacation. Memory upon memory, joy upon joy, Porter builds a repertoire of pink birth announcements, family egg tosses, and games of football. He describes what it means to enjoy every moment. Parenting is a journey, and sweet, tender, and uplifting moments abound.