Every Daddy Needs a Little Girl[1]
This blog was written in 2008 at a time
of a great loss to my favorite daughter.
When she was a teenager our
only daughter, Susan, was embarrassed for me to introduce her with “I have four
sons, but this is my daughter.” Naturally I persisted in doing this because
she was a teenager and was embarrassed by my saying it.
There is a story I’ve told so
often she probably thinks she really remembers it happening. When Susan was about four we went together to
the bank. She wanted to see what was
going on, so I lifted her up on the counter.
Who can resist a sweet, good-natured and extremely beautiful four-year
old? The teller offered her a sucker. Very sweetly she replied, “I have four
brothers.” Somehow I always want her to be
that innocent little girl.
When she started Kindergarten
I tried to convince her that if any boys tried to be friends she should say,
“My name is Susan. I love my daddy the
best. I don’t talk to boys.” The “don’t talk to boys” part ended when she
met Richie, on the first day of school.
Our four sons all understand
that their father loves them deeply, but in a crisis the child I want with me
is Susan. Such as when you yourself are
going into long put off heart surgery and your primary worry is a wife of 50+
years -- that’s when Susan is my strength.
Whenever I see some young
father with his little girl I want to tell him that every daddy needs a little
girl. He needs one if only to learn what
absolute and unconditional love really is.
I have seen daughters who adored their daddy when no one else
could. My little girl never seems to
remember or recall my mistakes and stupid decisions. (Although I do suspect
that when our kids get together without us parent types they do tell mommy
& daddy “horror” stories.)
Another thing I tell young
fathers is to not turn their back – when you turn around a few seconds later
she won’t be that little girl you could lift up to see what’s going on. Somehow she will have become a practicing
lawyer in a city 2000 miles and [an airplane flight] away.
This past week my baby girl
was hurting; and I had tears. She faced
pain and turmoil and disappointment; and there was nothing I could do to be
strength to her. I couldn’t even tell
her I knew how she felt. No mere daddy could have known. Every daddy needs a little girl, if only to
teach him what pain really is and what tears are really for.
One does get old enough to
learn that the sun also rises; but age brings the wisdom to know the time to
point that out is after the sunrise. The
darkest time has now passed. A few more
sunrises may have to take place, but recovery does come. Susan will go on because she is a strong woman
-- even if she will always be daddy’s little girl. After all, every daddy needs a little girl,
David L. Lewis is
an observer of and sometimes commentator on life who may be reached via e-mail
at thedaddy1776@gmail.com
Please Note
This is part of complying of Blogs posted from
May 17 2008 to May 10 2015 on the Brazil
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