Bill Belew has raised 2 bi-cultural kids, now 34 and 30. And he and his wife are now parenting a 3rd, Mia, who is 8.

Hugs for Daddy

My daddy told me a funny story.

The other day when we went to the farmer’s market somebody looked at him and asked about me, “Is that your grand daughter?”

Daddy looked at him without expression.

“Um, great grand daughter?!”

Daddy laughed.

Read: How to lose an argument with daddy

He laughs at things like that.  But I wonder if he really thinks he is old. I don’t. He’s just my daddy. WYSIWYG.

Then daddy told me another story.

He was reading about some parents who were saying they are now doing some the ‘old-fashioned’ way … the way their parents did it back in the 90’s.

“Yikes!!!” said daddy.

My daddy was born in the 50’s. That’s almost, okay it is long enough ago for him to be my great-grandpa.

But I don’t care. He plays and laughs and jumps and is my horse and my mountain and my slide and he likes to wrestle and climb and swing and swim and most most of all … hold my hand and carry me anytime anywhere whenever I want him to.

That’s when daddies are best. When they are there for their little girls to love and hug on and get lots of love and hugs back.

There is nothing old-fashioned needed. Just something real. And my daddy is real.

Talk to Bill and others about their experiences raising bi-cultural Japanese-American kids.