Love, the father-daughter way

Amongst the many relationships that we see around us, one of the most beautiful ones is the one between a father and his daughter. You have to see it to believe it. The way a father’s eyes light up when he sees his daughter, and the look of adoration in the daughter’s eyes when she sees her father is heartwarmingly special.

That first moment when a father holds his daughter in his arms, a little gingerly, a little carefully and feels his heart melt and filled up with love and tenderness. The memory of that moment remains with him forever. The tender feelings which a daughter evokes in a father’s heart have no parallel. He sets eyes on her and is filled with the overwhelming desire to love her, care for her, to cherish and protect her. It is the beginning of a lifetime of pure and selfless love, care and devotion between the two.

For a daughter, her father is the first man that comes into her life. He is her hero and has a significant influence on her. She sees him; she follows him with her eyes, with her little steps. She sees him behave with other people, with other women, and she thinks this is the way to be. It sets the tone for her life, for how she expects other people, especially other men, to behave. His ambitions, his aspirations, his values, his ethics all leave a deep imprint in her mind. He sets a benchmark which may be difficult for others to match. When a girl grows up basking in the safe and secure cocoon of her father’s love, she becomes a strong, confident woman who can take on the world. The values, the qualities that she imbibes from him teach her a way of life, a way of being. When a father supports his daughter, encourages her to follow her heart, she needs no one else. He is the wind beneath her sails, her security net. She is confident that he is one person who will stand by her no matter what. When she sees her father love her unconditionally, when she sees him sacrificing his happiness for her, when she sees him putting her before everyone else, she knows she is one lucky girl.

Though a father is inundated with feelings of tenderness, protection, and an immense amount of caring for his daughter, there is a word of caution for them. Dear fathers, you need to know this. Love your daughter, care for her, be there for her but don’t stifle her,  don’t kill her individuality, her independence by never letting go. Learn to support, not to stunt her growth.  Don’t make her believe that the solution to every problem in life is a man. Teach her to be courageous, to be bold, not a weakling who cannot take a step forward without daddy dearest. Therefore just the right amount of caring and loving is needed. Too much of everything is bad! You know that, right?

The father-daughter equation is not about caring and loving only by the father. If a father’s love is unconditional and pure, the daughter’s devotion too is complete. The feelings, the respect and regard she has for him are unmatched. To understand this, one must observe the way  she rises to the occasion each time he needs her or is in trouble.  Look at her and her reaction when she sees him in distress. She will put everything aside to be there for him. When he becomes old and feeble  in the winter of his life, the daughter will step in and take over. She will hold his hand, help him, the way he once upon a time held hers to help her take the first few steps. It breaks her heart to see her hero wither away, but she will never let him know that because for her; it is always‘ My Daddy strongest!!’