for father's day
The Feelings of a Father
Usually, for a little girl who’s already grown up, who’s working outside of their parent’s reach, who’s following her husband outside of the country, who’s schooling or going to university, they are usually away from their parents. More than once will she feel like she misses her mom.
But what about her dad?
Maybe because your mom will be the one who calls you to make sure you’re alright every single day, but did you know; that actually it is your father who reminds your mother to call you seven days a week?
Maybe when you were younger, your mom would be the one who tells you bedtime stories or listens to you when you tell stories to her; but did you know, when your dad arrives home from an exhausting day of work he always asks your mom about you and what you have been doing all day?
When you were still such an innocent, young girl…
Dad would usually teach you how to ride your first bike. After a while, when he would deem you ready to ride on your own, he would take off the training wheels from your bike. And then your mom would say:
“Not yet, Honey, don’t take off those training wheels yet.”
Mother would be terrified that her precious daughter would fall down and get hurt.
But did you ever realize?
That father would be sure that you would be okay on your own, and he would look over you and take care of you when you ride your first bike with two wheels because he knows YOU CAN.
When you cry and whine at your parents because you want to buy that beautiful doll you found in the store, your mother would falter against your plea. But your father would say firmly:
“Sure, we can buy it, but not now.”
Did you know, your dad says that because he doesn’t want you to become a spoiled child who always has what they want?
When you are sick in bed because of the flu, your dad becomes so worried that he would shout at you:
“I told you not to drink that cold water!”
Different from your mom who would take care of you and advise you to be more careful when you eat or drink from the kitchen. You should know that your father at that time would worry endlessly for you.
When you finally reach your teens…
You start to demand to your dad to get permission to go out at night, and he would firmly say “You’re not allowed!” Didn’t you know that he did it to protect you from harm?
Because, to your dad, you are a precious gem - more than the most beautiful diamond in existence. Soon after, you would rage, and slam your bedroom door behind you. And the one who comes knocking into your room to calm you down would be your mother.
Did you know, that during that time your father would close his eyes and suppress his feelings to the fact that he would really want you to go do what you want; but, again, he still NEEDS to protect you?
When the time comes that a guy would call you more often and even come to your house to meet you, your dad would make the coolest face in the world :D
He would occasionally eavesdrop or peek into the living room where you and this guy would chat. Did you know, that he would feel jealous?
When you start to be more mature, and your father would allow you to be looser with the rules when you go out of the house, you would demand to break the rules to your curfew. Then what your father would do; he would sit in the living room, and wait for you to come home with a worrying heart. And after the worrying feelings would drag on for hours and hours, when he sees you enter the doorstep to your home, he would glare and go ballistic on you…
Don’t you realize, that this is because the thing he fears most is soon to come?
That his little girl would soon leave his side.
After you graduate from high school, your dad would occasionally oppress you to become a doctor or an engineer. You should know that every oppression he does to try and change your mind is because he wants you to have a secure future. But anyway, he would smile at you and support you when your mind is set, even if it isn’t what he wanted…
When you finally become a grown lady…
And you have to go to university in another city. Your father has to let you go at the airport. Don’t you know that your father becomes stiff to hug you? He would smile and give advice to every little detail, and tell you to be careful. In truth, he would want to be just like your mother, who hugs you tightly and cries to no end.
What he would do is that he would wipe the tear at the corner of his eye, and pat your back and say:
“Take care of yourself, my girl.”
Your father would do so because he wants you to be strong… strong to go away and finally grow up to be a fine woman.
Time will come when you need money to pay for this semester’s fees and for your daily life. The one who would go to great lengths to fulfill your requirements would be your father. He would do anything so that you can be the same as your friends and stay with them for the rest of your undergraduate years.
When your pleas are no longer just to buy beautiful new dolls, he would know that he can’t always give you what you want. The words that would come out of his mouth: “No, I can’t!”
But surely, in reality, he would want to say “yes, honey, I’ll buy it for you right away.”
Don’t you know, during those times, your father would feel that he had failed to bring a smile to his daughter’s face?
When you finally graduate to become a bachelor, your father would be the first one to give you your standing ovation. He would smile proudly and be satisfied by the fact that his little daughter who isn’t spoiled has grown to become a fine woman that has made a difference to her community.
Until the day comes that your boyfriend would ask your father for your hand in marriage, he would carefully give permission after a long inspection…
Because he knows…
That that man would be the one who would take his place in the future.
And finally…
After your father sees you on the aisle with the man that he has deemed worthy to replace him, your father would smile happily…
Have you noticed, that after the most eventful, happiest day of your life that your father would run to his room and cry endlessly?
Your father would cry because he is so happy, and he would pray to God…
In his prayers, he would say: “O God, my duty has been done…
The little girl, my daughter, whom I have loved so deeply, has become a fine woman…
May she be happy with her beloved husband…”
After that your father would only wait for your return to the home you grew up in, with your sons and daughters, to visit him and your mother…
With hair that has grown whiter over the years…
And with a body that is weak and frail which can no longer protect you from harm… he passes on.
Your father has finished his duty.
Our father or our dad…
Is a figure that always has to be seen strong.
Even with the times when he wants to cry, but could not…
He has to be firm even when he wants to spoil you…
Because he knows that one day, you will have to be on your own. He needs to be the first to know that you can do anything in every aspect. The strong façade he shows you…
Is to make sure that you’ll be fine, even when he’s no longer with you.
Usually, for a little girl who’s already grown up, who’s working outside of their parent’s reach, who’s following her husband outside of the country, who’s schooling or going to university, they are usually away from their parents. More than once will she feel like she misses her mom.
But what about her dad?
Maybe because your mom will be the one who calls you to make sure you’re alright every single day, but did you know; that actually it is your father who reminds your mother to call you seven days a week?
Maybe when you were younger, your mom would be the one who tells you bedtime stories or listens to you when you tell stories to her; but did you know, when your dad arrives home from an exhausting day of work he always asks your mom about you and what you have been doing all day?
When you were still such an innocent, young girl…
Dad would usually teach you how to ride your first bike. After a while, when he would deem you ready to ride on your own, he would take off the training wheels from your bike. And then your mom would say:
“Not yet, Honey, don’t take off those training wheels yet.”
Mother would be terrified that her precious daughter would fall down and get hurt.
But did you ever realize?
That father would be sure that you would be okay on your own, and he would look over you and take care of you when you ride your first bike with two wheels because he knows YOU CAN.
When you cry and whine at your parents because you want to buy that beautiful doll you found in the store, your mother would falter against your plea. But your father would say firmly:
“Sure, we can buy it, but not now.”
Did you know, your dad says that because he doesn’t want you to become a spoiled child who always has what they want?
When you are sick in bed because of the flu, your dad becomes so worried that he would shout at you:
“I told you not to drink that cold water!”
Different from your mom who would take care of you and advise you to be more careful when you eat or drink from the kitchen. You should know that your father at that time would worry endlessly for you.
When you finally reach your teens…
You start to demand to your dad to get permission to go out at night, and he would firmly say “You’re not allowed!” Didn’t you know that he did it to protect you from harm?
Because, to your dad, you are a precious gem - more than the most beautiful diamond in existence. Soon after, you would rage, and slam your bedroom door behind you. And the one who comes knocking into your room to calm you down would be your mother.
Did you know, that during that time your father would close his eyes and suppress his feelings to the fact that he would really want you to go do what you want; but, again, he still NEEDS to protect you?
When the time comes that a guy would call you more often and even come to your house to meet you, your dad would make the coolest face in the world :D
He would occasionally eavesdrop or peek into the living room where you and this guy would chat. Did you know, that he would feel jealous?
When you start to be more mature, and your father would allow you to be looser with the rules when you go out of the house, you would demand to break the rules to your curfew. Then what your father would do; he would sit in the living room, and wait for you to come home with a worrying heart. And after the worrying feelings would drag on for hours and hours, when he sees you enter the doorstep to your home, he would glare and go ballistic on you…
Don’t you realize, that this is because the thing he fears most is soon to come?
That his little girl would soon leave his side.
After you graduate from high school, your dad would occasionally oppress you to become a doctor or an engineer. You should know that every oppression he does to try and change your mind is because he wants you to have a secure future. But anyway, he would smile at you and support you when your mind is set, even if it isn’t what he wanted…
When you finally become a grown lady…
And you have to go to university in another city. Your father has to let you go at the airport. Don’t you know that your father becomes stiff to hug you? He would smile and give advice to every little detail, and tell you to be careful. In truth, he would want to be just like your mother, who hugs you tightly and cries to no end.
What he would do is that he would wipe the tear at the corner of his eye, and pat your back and say:
“Take care of yourself, my girl.”
Your father would do so because he wants you to be strong… strong to go away and finally grow up to be a fine woman.
Time will come when you need money to pay for this semester’s fees and for your daily life. The one who would go to great lengths to fulfill your requirements would be your father. He would do anything so that you can be the same as your friends and stay with them for the rest of your undergraduate years.
When your pleas are no longer just to buy beautiful new dolls, he would know that he can’t always give you what you want. The words that would come out of his mouth: “No, I can’t!”
But surely, in reality, he would want to say “yes, honey, I’ll buy it for you right away.”
Don’t you know, during those times, your father would feel that he had failed to bring a smile to his daughter’s face?
When you finally graduate to become a bachelor, your father would be the first one to give you your standing ovation. He would smile proudly and be satisfied by the fact that his little daughter who isn’t spoiled has grown to become a fine woman that has made a difference to her community.
Until the day comes that your boyfriend would ask your father for your hand in marriage, he would carefully give permission after a long inspection…
Because he knows…
That that man would be the one who would take his place in the future.
And finally…
After your father sees you on the aisle with the man that he has deemed worthy to replace him, your father would smile happily…
Have you noticed, that after the most eventful, happiest day of your life that your father would run to his room and cry endlessly?
Your father would cry because he is so happy, and he would pray to God…
In his prayers, he would say: “O God, my duty has been done…
The little girl, my daughter, whom I have loved so deeply, has become a fine woman…
May she be happy with her beloved husband…”
After that your father would only wait for your return to the home you grew up in, with your sons and daughters, to visit him and your mother…
With hair that has grown whiter over the years…
And with a body that is weak and frail which can no longer protect you from harm… he passes on.
Your father has finished his duty.
Our father or our dad…
Is a figure that always has to be seen strong.
Even with the times when he wants to cry, but could not…
He has to be firm even when he wants to spoil you…
Because he knows that one day, you will have to be on your own. He needs to be the first to know that you can do anything in every aspect. The strong façade he shows you…
Is to make sure that you’ll be fine, even when he’s no longer with you.