Daddy-Daughter conversations...Flopping.

“Dad, it seems like guys flop so much more than girls.”

I was watching the World Cup with my 13 yr. old, Aly, yesterday.  I absolutely love laying on the bed and snuggling with her while watching professional soccer.   Our commentary alone on the play-by-play is worth its weight in gold.

Her astute observation about the difference between men’s soccer and women’s soccer struck a nerve and stuck with me.

“It doesn’t make sense to me.  If guys are so much stronger, why do they act like babies, why are they so over-dramatic?”

I’m not gonna’ lie.  I wanted to defend my bros.  I felt like she was talking about something that goes way beyond and below the surface of soccer.

True story…my first thought was the time I heard my daughters say at the dinner table: “Dad is so much more dramatic when he gets sick than when mom does.”  No kidding.  The association came to my mind instantaneously.

In fact, the last time I got sick and puked (two weeks ago) I didn’t even tell anyone about it because of this conversation until my wife caught me in between the bathroom and the bedroom.

I don’t want to be like that.  I don’t want to milk pity.  I don’t want to overdramatize pain.  I don’t want to get a call because I fake an injury.  It’s not good soccer.  It’s not good manhood.

“Don’t marry someone like that, ya’ hear me?  Don’t marry a man that acts hurt to get attention.  That’s not a man.  You don’t want to hook your cart to someone like that.”

It made me think about my own life a lot.  Where do I flop?  Where is God calling me to man-up?  I don’t want to be a flopper.