What I hope for my daughters

I have four daughters. They are all beautiful, and I don't believe that is just daddy's opinion. As a young man, I was very hard on more than one daddy. I was definitely the boy they didn't want to see their daughters with. There being a just and true God, those daddies are now rolling on the ground laughing at the irony of me having four beautiful little girls. I told my wife that the biggest thing I fear is one of my daughters coming home and saying, "But Daddy, he reminds me of you." I will shoot that unlucky bastard on the spot, because I was me, and if I ever got anywhere near my daughters, I'd shoot me. My wife, on the other hand, hopes they come home with someone like me. She seems to think highly of me for some reason.

I am currently reading John Adams, by David McCullough. Last night I came into the living room and told my wife that John Adams wrote a letter to his daughter, describing the man she should marry, and I am going to read it to my daughters when they are old enough, about fifty, to start dating. In this letter, John Adams described me. My wife said I was against my daughters finding a man like me, but I must say that John Adams makes me sound good.

Daughter! Get you an honest man for a husband, and keep him honest. No matter whether he is rich, provided he be independent. Regard the honor and moral character of the man more than all other circumstances. Think of no other greatness but that of the soul, no other riches but those of the heart. An honest, sensible, humane man, above all the littleness of vanity and extravagances of imagination, laboring to do good rather than be rich, to be useful rather than make a show, living in modest simplicity clearly within his means and free from debts and obligations, is really the most respectable man in society, makes himself and all about him most happy.

When they are old enough to find a man, I pray they will find one like John Adams described.

And I hope that all of you daddy's out there raising sons will forgive me when I run them off at gunpoint. Raise them right and save them the embarrassment.