Wrote this on April 26, 2025 8:45am in the LaQuinta in Galt, CA 5 hours 15 minutes before I take “the” walk.
This is going to be short / brief. I know! Shocker.
I write this in honor of our daughter and in a “heads-up” to all the fathers of daughters.
At 2:00pm today, Katy is going to marry Daniel.
Our daughter is one of the strongest girls I know. I realize millions of fathers will say the same thing, but here one story to show how strong Katy is.
October 7th
Thursday, September 21, 2023, around 7am, I was sitting in my man cave listening to music; something I do before I leave for work. My wife knocks on my door. “Katy’s on the phone. She needs to talk to you.”
“What’s up?”
She was crying very hard. Had a difficult time catching her breath. “Jon (not his real name) is calling off the wedding. I don’t know what to do.”
The phone call continued and I will let you use your imagination to how the rest of the phone call went.
Following that phone call, I called two friends and Friday, September 22, 2023 we drove out to Jon and Katy’s home. Loaded all her belongings and welcomed Katy back home with us.
TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE WEDDING! The wedding is canceled and the close to four year relationship ends.
Late April 2024
Katy and mom are sitting on the couch. Out of the blue. For no reason that I can think of, except for me once again being a smart ass, I said, “So what’s his name?”
“What do you mean, dad?”
I asked again, “Um… what’s his name?”
“Daniel.”
“DANIEL? Are you serious?! There is someone? I was just joking. What the heck? Well, okay. Who is Daniel?”
“He is a fireman and paramedic.”
I started to calm down. A first responder?! That’s cool.
“Okay. So, when do I get to meet Daniel?”
Katy responds, “Well that’s a problem?”
“NO IT’S NOT A PROBLEM. When do I get to meet him?”
She shyly says, “He lives in Colorado.”
“WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU DOING, Katy?”
“We met on a Christian dating app. He is really a very good man.” At this time, I was proud of my wife / Katy’s mom. She was just taking all this in. She let Katy and I work this through.
Long story short. Daniel comes out to California for 4th of July 2024. Stays at a local hotel. Makes an incredible first impression.
July 9, 2024
God is super cool. At that time as I mentioned, Daniel lived close to Denver, Colorado and I happened to be attending a Freedom Foundation teachers’ conference in Denver; days after he was with us for 4th of July. I told Daniel we should have lunch together. I thought it was a “God – Thing.”
Before I leave for Denver, Diana tells me to get ready for a question. WHAT IN THE WORLD?! And Diana encouraged me to say, ‘yes.’
Daniel and I are sitting in this sports bar having a casual conversation. After all, this is the FIRST time he and I had been together for a one-to-one conversation.
All of the sudden I said, “I hear you have a question. I know the answer to your question. Go ahead and ask it.”
“I would like to ask you if I could marry your daughter, Katy?”
“I told you I knew the answer. Yes.”
April 26, 2025
Two things – among several – I have learned with this journey with Katy is GOD IS GOING TO DO WHAT GOD IS GOING TO DO! The other thing I have learned is LOVE KNOWS NO TIME. You can be with someone for four years and two weeks before the wedding, he cancels it. Or you can be with someone for 85 days and know it is the time to ask the father of your future bride, “I would like to ask you if I could marry your daughter, Katy?” LOVE KNOWS NO TIME.
It is now 9:05am. Less than five hours our daughter, in front of family members and friends from all over the country will become Mrs. Katy Rich. No long my sweet little girl. Once again, Katy and our son PJ were on loan to us from God. They are GOD’s children and He just asked us – really commanded us – to get them ready to be someone else’s spouse for life.
Final Thought
On Wednesday, April 23, 2025, I told my 4th – 8th grade band scholars (students) that I was going to be absent Thursday, Friday and Monday because our daughter is getting married. As I told the 4th – 8th grade band scholars (students), I cried. No surprise to my family and friends. I had a flash back to our little girl sitting in that band chair. Me crying made a couple of the students uncomfortable, but I told them, “the next 10 – 15 years will go by fast. Just think – in ten years, you 12 year olds will be 22 years old! Love this time. Love the time you have with your parents or whomever is raising you. Before you know it, you are going to be taking a walk to be with someone else for the rest of your life.”
To my fellow Dads-of-Daughters – Believe people and this stranger: giving your daughter away is very different than your son. Do all you can to be the kind of man you want your daughter to marry. You are the model she is looking for. She really needs to have the best you as often as she can. And yes… before you know it, you will be taking that walk.
I love you Katy. I love you Daniel
#defendyourmarriage
#christcenteredmarriage
