He’ll never walk away
He’ll never break her heart
He’ll take care of things, he’ll love her
Piece by piece, he restored my faith
That a man can be kind and a father can be great – Kelly Clarkson
Father’s Day was this week. Ours went by, with a nice personalised card and gift for my husband, followed by dinner with my Dad. My husband finds Father’s Day awkward. ‘I am a Dad everyday and my daughter is my gift’. A true statement and a very beautiful way of looking at it all.
Dads do get a bad rap at times. Not doing enough, being lazy, childish and irresponsible at best. Not turning up as arranged and/or being completely absent or cruel at worst. It’s worth noting, that Mums, can also be guilty of those things. Not all Dads are the same. Not all Dads are scraping by, doing the bare minimum. Some are truly amazing. Some go above and beyond every single day. Some are just as much a gift, as the children they care for.
For all the amazing Dads out there, Father’s Day is a celebration. A day we get to say thank you, we love you and in some cases…we miss you.
To the Dad that steps up, all day every day. To the part time Dad, making it work in a blended family. The Stepfather, loving another man’s child, like his own. The Foster Dad, providing love and support, without DNA or fixed timeframes. The Dads to be, bursting with love and pride, as they eagerly await their first child. To each and every one of you. We thank you. We love you.
My forever Dad, wasn’t there when I was born. In truth, he didn’t join my family, until I was 4. My biological Father was cruel and physically abusive, so we left. My Mum hoped for better, I wished for better. We didn’t get better, we got the best. He is calm, kind, intelligent, funny and someone I can always depend on. Even now, when I have a child of my own, he is there. Being a parent is a full time job, with a lifetime contract. A contract he didn’t sign under duty, obligation or ignorance. He knew exactly what he was getting into. He knew that taking on a child, that would spend most of their early years in hospital, was going to be tough. At 27 years old, he was all in and to this day, nothing has changed.
Is he perfect…no. Is he mine…yes! He was there for me through all my surgeries. Never freaked out. Never ran away. He helped me study for my exams. I could talk to him about anything; relationships, jobs, nothing was taboo. He poured me my first cocktail. Picked me up off the floor, when I had my heart broken, for the first time. He always stood right beside me, when I received more and more medical bad news, time after time. He was there for me. Every day. Every time.
‘Piece by piece, he restored my faith
That a man can be kind and a father can be great’
Years later, he was ready, willing and able to help me be a good Step-parent myself. He equipped me, with the patience and kindness required, to love and support a heartbroken child. Giving me the strength, I needed, to face all their tests. I needed to prove, I wouldn’t leave them, no matter what they threw at me. Here I am, still there for them, as my Dad is for me.
As Dads go, mine is a legend.
As I watch my husband with our daughter, the pride, joy and relief I feel is huge. Their bond is close, beautiful and full of giggles. To watch her run into his arms, at the end of each day, is so precious. To hear his kind words and calm tone, even in the midst of her tantrums, makes me smile. I watch them play and laugh. Her happiness and safety, all wrapped up in the comfort blanket, that is her Daddy.
‘He’ll never walk away
He’ll never break her heart
He’ll take care of things, he’ll love her’
My daughter and I are so lucky to have the Dads that we do. On Father’s Day and every day. We thank you. We love you.