My father has been gone for ten years now. There are times that the pain of losing him is so fresh it's as though time does not exist. When I look at my girls I feel so sad that they won't know him. No matter how many stories I share my kids will never know the essence of my dad. The way the room changed (for the better) when he walked in, the way his happiness was contagious in his later years, and the way his sense of adventure applied to everything and everyone.
When I was skydiving regularly, I got him a lesson as a gift. I thought it would be fun to skydive with him. I still remember how his eyes twinkled at the thought. He was excited to do it, but an accident (trampled by 3 horses) prevented him from physically being able to do it. We were both sad that it wasn't an option for us to jump together, but I think he liked the fact that his daughter was a skydiver and jumped out of airplanes for fun. My dad had an appreciation of all things outside the norm.
Fathers have a special power over daughters that cannot be explained. When your dad smiles at you and expresses pride and approval, the world is the best place to be. And when you disappoint him, the world is at its worst. There is nothing more powerful than Daddy's approval. My dad wielded that over me and no one has had that power since he passed.
A message to all the daddies... use your power wisely and appreciate your girls. Be a force of good in their lives and their hearts. Show them not to let anyone keep them down because they are the only ones who can make their choices and they are the ones who have to live with them. Give them hope, strength and teach them to appreciate all they have.
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