An Open Letter To My Daughter

I visited the Minnesota Vikings training camp today and was going to write about that experience, but as I was leaving, what I saw I couldn't believe. The whole way home, I wrote this in my mind, while shedding a few tears, I hope it comes out ok.

Dear Sweet Little Girl,

Today I went to my favorite football team, The Minnesota Vikings, training camp. I watched my favorite athletes run, catch and throw and it got me excited for the new season of football that is about to start.

As I left the field I was shocked, and I promise I will never do this to you. I saw fathers telling their kids to ask for items like wristbands, jerseys and gloves that the players used during practice. They used their kids as pawns so they could sell the items on something called ebay.

See, you are a 4 month old girl and just discovering the wonderful things in life like your feet and rolling on your tummy. You have yet to experience sports but when you do, if you don't like them, that's ok.

I want you to experience everything in life, so I will take you to a Vikings training camp. If you want to sit and watch the punter punt balls and say to daddy "See how high that one went?", we can do that all day. If you want to watch the players running around running plays, we can do that all day. If you want to see the players close up, daddy will lift you high on his shoulders so you can see them as they leave the field, not asking you to get him an autograph.

See, if we go to a game or training camp and you don't like football or baseball, that's OK. I got to spend a day with my little girl and we will find something else you love to do. If that's dancing, daddy will be at every recital. If its soccer, daddy will play with you in the back yard all night until your bedtime. If it is painting, he will put everything you ever paint on the fridge or wall. If it is writing, he will read every word you write.

See, I am here to introduce you to things, and you decide which ones you like, and daddy will be there to support you the whole way. If a Vikings game is on and you have a recital, well you know daddy is going to be watching you dance your feet off and smiling the whole time.

I will show you the Vikings and the Twins but in the end I want you to love what you love to do, not what I love to do.

And, if someday down the road, 20 years later, you decide to watch the Twins or Vikings on Sunday with your dad, well that will be the best day of my life. Well, other than the day you were born, my sweet little girl.

Dad