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Vol. 2001 Issue 06b ~ Daddy's Girl

At church today I caught a glimpse of an amazing father-daughter relationship. I was intrigued and challenged and given hope all in that one moment. What did I see that touched me so deeply?

After our congregation sang a chorus, we did the usual "greeting of those around you." I watched a father greet his fifteen-year-old daughter. What is the big deal? For one thing, girls of that age tend to be embarrassed by their fathers. That she even acknowledged him is amazing enough. What struck me, though, was how they addressed each other. Their fondness for one another and the way they were comfortable with each other was foreign to me. They did a special handshake kind of thing. It was so brief that I have difficulty explaining it. But the daughter was not embarrassed by her father. She didn’t simply acknowledge him, she greeted him warmly and affectionately. The handshake lingered a moment. Long enough for me to zoom ten or twelve years into the future and picture my Sara embracing her father in public without shame.

Why did this hit me so hard? Maybe because what you see in public is an accurate reflection of what is being built in private.

First let me say – Happy Father’s Day to all of you men who come alongside a child and bring to them the feeling that they are special and loved.

And to you moms out there - talk to your husband today about one thing each of you can do with your child that will build on the parent-child relationship to insure its strength in the future. And then each of you make a plan to spend some alone time with each of your children. What an impact this will make on their little hearts!

(Oh, and, don’t forget to thank your child’s father for their amazing influence in your children’s lives!)

© Elisabeth K. Corcoran, 2001

Elisabeth K. Corcoran is the author of Calm in My Chaos: Encouragement for a Mom's Weary Soul . This column is adapted from her book.

Submitted on : 01-Jun-2001