JPG: Stories: Feature Story: Daughter

Feature Story

Daughter

By J Lewis

23 May 2009

"Certain is it that there is no kind of affection so purely angelic as of a father to a daughter. In love to our wives there is desire; to our sons, ambition; but to our daughters there is something which there are no words to express." - Joseph Addison, Poet

Most fathers I know want boys in the worst way. When my wife became pregnant, I was the only guy I knew that wanted a daughter so badly that, when the news came from the nurse who did the ultra sound, I literally jumped off the ground, over joyed that my world would be filled with the love of a baby girl.

I can not echo enough the words of the poet cited above. Having a daughter has rendered me into this over protective, over proud, over happy at the sight of her smile - father. She has brought a happiness to my life that I can't believe one would ever know without having been presented with such a gift as a father is presented with a daughter.

She's smart, adorable, curious, playful, stunning, and down right beautiful. At times she'll frustrate me like nobody's business, but rarely will she ever incur my anger because at just a look I remember how precious she is to me.

Her laughter is like magic floating across the air to my ears setting my spirit to glow with amusement and a lofty gladness that she is well and good. Her tears break my heart splintering my soul with sorrow and a need to fix whatever is wrong so I can see that smile that has brightened her face so many times before. Her hugs and kisses are like medicine healing me when I'm feeling down or frustrated about anything at all.

My only hope is that I can be the kind of father she needs me to be and that I can be there for her when she's scared, or when she needs help, or when she just needs a hug from her dad or even just to know her dad is proud of her. She makes me want to be a better person so that I can be a good example for her, that she'll learn from my mistakes and understand how to treat people right.

The things I want for her are that she will grow to be smart and strong and be able to defend herself against the cruel things that life brings and that she'll recognize the wonderful things that life grants us as those opportunities present themselves. I hope she's confident and compassionate and kind and clever, that one day I'll know, when she's ready to leave that she is indeed ready for the world and can take care of herself.

At that point all I will do is wait for the moments when she can reassure me that she still needs her daddy.

This is my daughter. She is the light of my life.

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