Kristy Choby, NFI's Research and Development Specialist, shares an observation from her wise-beyond-her-years daughter.
My little girl, Julia, is two-and-a-half years old and every time she sees someone that looks sad or alone -- whether in a book, on the street, or in a movie (and sometimes if she thinks I'm sad) -- she asks or states one of the following: "Where is her daddy?" "They need their daddy." This doesn't just happen once in a while, but almost every time she notices sadness or loneliness.
For instance, if she sees a woman walking alone on the street, a child crying in the store, or a cartoon character lost in the woods, she comments that they need their daddy. Each time she says it, I either smile thinking of how wonderful her dad is, how involved he is, and how he is there for his children when they are sad and lonely. Or I start to cry thinking about the reality that so many of those that she points to don't have their dad to run to when they are sad and lonely.
I am very thankful to work for an organization that is committed to helping more children have an involved, responsible, and committed father in their lives. We all need our daddies!
Julia and her daddy
Father represents foundation. Origin. The seed comes from the father. When the men are denied the next generation is denied. Father's are the focal point of societies and nations. A child will always walk around with a hole in their heart if they don't connect to their dad. There is nothing like an affirmation from a father. It's the way we were created. The little girl is right, where is their daddy? Where is their foundation/origin... Anthony Byrd Sr.
ReplyDeleteAnthony, I can't agree with you enough. Having grown up in a home riddled with abuse and all that goes along with it, I can attest to the fact that there is a hole in those who didn't connect with their dad. For my own children, I mourn the fact that I don't know things about being a dad as a result of the bad example I had growing up. I cringe (and want to cry) at the thought of how not having an exemplar father of my own affects my own children. I have tried to do a much better job than what I saw and I believe I am succeeding. I'd love to hear any ideas in the blogosphere how to make that hole go away?
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