A Father's Affection

Having a cold, much less being sick, can make a person's energy wane throughout the day. But not working is an option I can ill afford unless I'm coughing up blood or truly incapacitated (not to be mistaken with being decapitated, which I act like most of the time).

When I'm slightly ill, it makes me dread the difficult patients even more. It takes quite a bit of energy for me to fain indifference and even more restraint to show respect. And so I end up greatly appreciating the goods one.

I had the pleasure with one family in particular that came in this week. It was a family with 3 girls and the youngest two were twins. Only the father and oldest daughter were getting an eye exam. The girl was 9 years old and wanted to try contact lenses, which is a little younger than average for a first timer. But I always tell the parents when they ask, "When is an appropriate age for kids to start," that they are the best judge. Wearing contacts is a huge responsibility with health implications, and the parents have the best vantage point to gauge their kid's desire and maturity level. I'm only here to help educate and train.

This is when the parents usually hesitate about letting their kid try. But not this time. The father was one of the most positive and encouraging parent I've seen in a long time. He told me she was a very mature girl and an honors student. And indeed she was a bright girl who had little trouble putting the contacts on. There are some adults that should take here cue.

I'll be honest, first time contact lens wearers are a plague in the office. It's like playing roulette, you never know what you'll get. A patient can take anywhere from a few minutes to put on the contacts or up to an hour. On those rare occasions they may even give up totally on the idea. But this little girl was great and had little to no difficulty. Dodged a bullet there.

At the initial exam and at the follow up visit one thing was evident about this family. This father loved his little girls and doted over them, a rarity in public for father figures. I see it often with mothers, but for reasons reinforce by society fathers are less incline to show affection. There's the biological reasons of child bearing that for sure would predispose the female, but that's not an excuse for the male counterpart. And to see this father's genuine affection for his girls was indeed refreshing. It made me feel better and the day seem brighter.