Behind These Eyes of Blue

Behind those Eyes of Blue, he sees his brand new baby girl open her eyes for the first time; matching blue eyes staring back at him.

Behind these Eyes of Blue, she looks up to see her daddy; the first man she’d ever love.

Behind those Eyes of Blue, he sees the light of his life taking her first steps.

Behind these Eyes of Blue, she sees her lifeline and protector if she ever falls.

Behind those Eyes of Blue, he sees a scraped knee and a failed bike lesson.

Behind these Eyes of Blue, she sees her guardian angel coming to save the day, with those gentle but calloused hands, brushing the gravel from her small knee.

Behind those Eyes of Blue, he sees a little girl terrified of things only she can see, as he rocks her back to sleep from another night terror. 

Behind these Eyes of Blue, she sees the man who hung her moon, her knight in shining armor, as she closes her eyes; knowing he’d slay anything that ever tried to hurt her.

Behind those Eyes of Blue, he sees her white knuckles clench the steering wheel of that rusted “elk-getter”, cruising a little too fast on their old dirt roads.

Behind these Eyes of Blue, she sees his strong warm hands holding her tight, as she sits on his lap and smiles at the dirt flying out behind them in that crooked rearview mirror.

Behind those Eyes of Blue, he sees a mess of blonde hair tucked into a baseball cap, kneeling next to that old barbed wire fence, twisting the last clippy into place.

Behind these Eyes of Blue, she sees the man who wakes up before the sun every morning to teach her what real work looks like.

Behind those Eyes of Blue, he sees pure elation as jersey #10 watches the ball finally go over the net for the first time; cheering in her baggy spandex and tube sock kneepadders.

Behind these Eyes of Blue, she glances up to see her biggest fan smiling down at her with pride in his shining eyes.

Behind those Eyes of Blue, he sees her giggle from across the pond as she reels in another great catch.

Behind these Eyes of Blue, she sees the person who taught her that a smile and a little mud is prettier than any amount of makeup could ever make her.

Behind those Eyes of Blue, he sees a teenager’s first heartbreak and the tears that run from her baby blues.

Behind these Eyes of Blue, she sees a man showing her exactly how a man should treat a lady.

Behind those Eyes of Blue, he sees his baby’s pigtails disappear into long straight hair; trying on her first prom dress.

Behind these Eyes of Blue, she sees a protective and caring Daddy silently eyeing the boy who just knocked on the door.

Behind those Eyes of Blue, he sees 3 letters across the back of his little girl, as her team proudly sings the Star-Spangled Banner and earns another medal for their Country. 

Behind these Eyes of Blue, she glances at the guy standing amongst their 6-person fan section, who has spent dozens of hours in gyms, countless seasons of late practices, and has traveled thousands of miles to help her achieve this dream. 

Behind those Eyes of Blue, he takes one last look in the rearview mirror at the freshly graduated teenager they just dropped off at college.

Behind these Eyes of Blue, she sees a proud but frightened father who has given everything for her to have this opportunity to learn and grow.

Behind those Eyes of Blue, he sees a collegiate athlete flying through the air and those matching blue eyes shining from the jumbotron after yet another Sun Devil point.

Behind these Eyes of Blue, she glances up, right behind their home bench, to see the smiling face of her number one fan.

Behind those Eyes of Blue, he sees his child wishing to be an adult far too soon, as they sit in that living room, begging for his blessing.

Behind these Eyes of Blue, she watches her Daddy; desperately trying to tell him how she’ll never stop being his little girl. 

Behind those Eyes of Blue, he sees himself losing his Princess, because she’s just said, “I Do” to her Prince.

Behind these Eyes of Blue, she sees her King watching them kneel across that white cushioned altar; beginning a family of their own.

Behind those Eyes of Blue, he looks down at her in a sparkly white dress, holding her tight beneath that spotlight, not wanting to let go just yet.

Behind these Eyes of Blue, she sees her Daddy sharing their last dance together as she reaches up to gently wipe a tear from beneath the eyes that mirror her own. 

Behind those Eyes of Blue, he watches a broken and fragile shell of the once strong woman he called his baby girl.

Behind these Eyes of Blue, she sees her guardian angel sitting beside her, giving her his unconditional strength and love.

Behind those Eyes of Blue, he sees his child sleeping quietly after a long and painful night of more failed tests and diagnostics.

Behind these Eyes of Blue, she silently watches him enter her hospital room at 5:30 AM to pull his chair beside her bed and grasp her fragile hand in his, so that she won’t wake up alone in that scary place. 

Behind those Eyes of Blue, he sees the doctors shake their head one more time, as he helplessly turns toward his daughter hanging her head in defeat.

Behind these Eyes of Blue, she sees the hours of prayers and sore knees, as her protector kneels in prayer for answers, strength and recovery yet again.

Behind those Eyes of Blue, he sees a woman who refuses to quit and gets up every time she’s been knocked down.

Behind these Eyes of Blue, she sees his hands gently stroke her cheek and hold back her hair as she kneels on the side of the highway after long hours of treatment, reminding her “you can do hard things.” 

Behind those Eyes of Blue, he sees a woman who has build a spine of steel and believes she could walk through fire.

Behind these Eyes of Blue, she sees her guiding star and the reason for her strength behind her actions. 

Behind those Eyes of Blue, he will someday see his baby girl glowing with a love he could never quite explain to her until now. 

Behind these Eyes of Blue, she'll see her Daddy finally become a grandfather as his eyes of blue turn with unshed tears, as he takes his first look at a brand new set of eyes. 

Blue; just like her mamas.

Happy Father's Day, Daddy.

Thank you for letting me view this beautiful world behind eyes of blue.