Free Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman Page B

bedtime prayers are like. I, too, tend to rush through these daily rituals just to get to something that seems so much more important at the time.
    â€œCinderella” reminded me that nothing is more important in my life than my two angels. Right now is an incredibly important time in their lives, and nothing I do matters quite as much as being their dad. (And maybe the reason behind some of my tears was that I could so easily visualize my daughter dressed as Cinderella, just as the song describes.)
    Because of that song, because of that moment as a fan in the crowd, I made time this morning just for my kids. They love to throw the football with me. They love it when I teach them how to hold the ball, stand, aim, and throw it in a perfect spiral. They love to try and catch my throws. They just love the chance to hang out and play with dad, since I tend to work a little too much, a little too often. I was three hours late for work today because of this planned time, and it was worth every minute of extra work I may have to do to make up for it.
    I’m grateful for another wonderful song from one of my favorite artists, and for the way this song touched my life—as well as the lives of my kids.

    Altamonte Springs, Florida

Caleb Chapman and Julia
headed to the prom.
    She says he’s a nice guy
    and I’d be impressed
    She wants to know if I
approve of the dress
    She says, “Dad, the prom
is just one week away
    and I need to practice my dancing
    Oh please, Daddy, please”

    Do you like my
dress, Daddy?
    Dance with me . . .

Wait a minute— suddenly she looks so
grown up. Is she wearing makeup? And are those
her mother’s shoes? Just how tall is she, anyway?
It seems like five minutes ago she was just
getting her first haircut. Now she’s asking for
her first cell phone. It all went by so fast —
she’s a young lady now.

    â€œIt will be gone before you know it. The fingerprints
on the wall appear higher and higher. Then suddenly
they disappear…”
    â€”Dorothy Evslin

He'll always . . .

    Steven and —
Emily Chapman,
Emily at age 13 and then age 20.

    I remember several years ago hearing a good friend
say that he made a commitment to try to make sure his
voice was the last one his daughter heard every night
before she fell asleep. That sounded like great wisdom,
so, from that night on, whenever it was physically possible,
I would climb the stairs to her bedroom, tuck Emily in
—Queen Tuck, as I called her—pray with her, and let
the last thing she heard before she fell asleep be the voice
of her dad saying, " Goodnight, Em. I love you." Those
little moments are priceless to us now. —

    be here for me . . .

remembering special moments
    The first time I heard the song “Cinderella,” I was listening to a radio station online during GMA week. I remember laughing when I heard the introduction to the song, a story about bath time with Mr. Chapman’s little girls. When he began singing a beautiful acoustic version of “Cinderella,” a wave of memories flooded my mind.
    I think this song is a wonderful reminder not only for parents but also for children. Sometimes, we teenagers need to slow down and take the time to remember that being a child will not last forever, that our quality time with Mom and Dad will soon be spent. At this point in my life, it’s almost time for me to start my own “great adventure” and leave home to go off to college with huge dreams to impact the world in some way that is still unknown. I can’t listen to “Cinderella” without remembering special memories from when I was a young child and wishing that time hadn’t passed so quickly.
    I truly hope that “Cinderella” will bring back those memories for everyone who hears it, parents and kids alike. Cherishing memories can help us stay close to our parents, no matter where our dreams take us. Nothing can break the bond between