Rissa May Stay With Me, Daddy May 2026

Twenty minutes later, she crawled into my lap without a word, smelled my shirt, and whispered, “Okay, Daddy. Now ice cream.” If your little one ever tells you they’d rather stay with me (meaning themselves), don’t hear rejection. Hear readiness .

It happened on a Tuesday. No rain. No dramatic music. Just the hum of the dishwasher and the click of the front door latch as I got home from work. My daughter, Rissa (age 4, going on 17), was sitting on the living room rug, building a castle out of magnatiles. rissa may stay with me, daddy

When Rissa says, “Stay with me,” she’s not pushing me away. She’s inviting me into a more advanced level of trust. She’s saying: I know you’re right there if I need you. But for now, I’ve got me. I sat down two feet away from her castle. Not inside it. Not directing it. Twenty minutes later, she crawled into my lap

So here’s to the Rissas of the world. May they always feel like they’re good company to keep. It happened on a Tuesday