On Feb. 11 my daddy would have been 82, but I lost him 15 years ago which does not even seem possible. Though I had my daddy for 42 years and will always be a daddy’s girl, I still wonder what makes some people a daddy’s girl and some are simply not.
A “daddy’s girl” is often described as a girl who is extremely close to her father. This “daddy’s girl” relationship often has a strong, unbreakable bond with mutual admiration and a deep emotional connection.
Common characteristics of a “daddy’s girl” meant you were always loyal to your dad to a fault. You shared similar interests and hobbies and you longed to always get his approval, guidance and support. You also could be very protective of your father and in return you felt protected by him too.
Most of all, being a “daddy’s girl” often meant you could have an open and honest conversation with your daddy. If you had a great dad, he would often be the first man you would learn to love and trust so and he would bend over backwards to never hurt you or let you get hurt.
I felt like I had most of these attributes from looking like my daddy to having some similar hobbies like music, golf and a love and respect for nature. He seemed to know it all, but really wasn’t arrogant about it. In fact, he generally wanted to teach you the same things he knew. (I credit his mother for this love of learning and love of the simple things in life.) Though my dad could be over-protective from time to time, I felt like he always had my best interest at heart so I was always a “daddy’s girl” knowing he loved me enough to want the very best in my life. This also allowed us to always have open and honest conversations about life.
As a young girl it seemed my daddy could have secretly been “Superman.” He had a very steady personality, spoke softly and always saved the day. He also told the best daytime and bedtime stories. I thought my daddy could do anything and fix anything-from a broken toy to broken heart, from an old beat up tractor to the kitchen sink. Most of all, he could always fix my childhood problems or so I thought.
Yes, being a “daddy’s girl” had a significant impact on my life and influenced a lot of my relationships, self-esteem and overall view of life. But as I grew up, I found out that being a daddy’s girl didn’t always keep me from heartbreak. Sometimes I still made poor choices and then had to face the consequences of those choices. However, my daddy didn’t say I told you so. He just would come over and help pick up the pieces of my shattered heart and tell me that I was still his princess even though I was “kissing a lot of toads in my quest to find my Prince Charming.”
As life continued and I married (a couple times – still kissing toads), I brought grandchildren into his world and my daughter would become the next “grand-daddy’s girl.” She would also believe that her Papa could do no wrong and would always love her with all his heart. Truly he was the best Daddy and best Papa ever. He would be the “father figure” in her life that would believe in her no matter what, just like he believed in me. Though he was not Superman he would make us think we were truly princesses and worth more than we could ever comprehend. He taught us an Agape love that made us trust in a Heavenly Father Who loved us even more than he did.
So when we had to say goodbye to my daddy and her papa at only 67 years old it was hard to let go of all the dreams and stories he had told us. In fact, his death has left both of us, a “daddy’s girl” and “grand daddy’s girl” in a little shell shock, still kissing toads and wishing for Prince Charming to love us unconditionally like my father did. I guess I’ll just be a “daddy’s girl” for life because at least he always had our best interest at heart. So we gave our hearts away to him years ago.
As I watched my father fade away, I cried in my best friend’s arms as I tried to describe how much my daddy meant to me. He was “my cushion in life” He just had a way of making all the crushing issues of the day seem like they weren’t that hard or difficult. My daddy cushioned the blow of my heartaches and made me believe that tomorrow would always look differently if I gave it to my Daddy God. So, I guess it is true, “Once a daddy’s girl, always a Daddy’s girl.” So quit kissing toads and realize if you know Jesus, you have already met your Prince Charming.
