I have a number of things in my daily life that concern me lately. One is the relationship between my husband and my daughter. I was a product of what would, in today's world, be considered a stable family. My parents stayed married, had many children and thus, were successful in that sense. As a daughter, I struggled to feel close to my father. I was told that when I was very young, he doted on me and that I was his shadow. All I can clearly remember is a few years later...being 8 or so and being horribly afraid of him.
I want so much more for my daughter. I want her to have a Daddy. Not a father, Dad... but a Daddy. My daughter's father doesn't seem to understand how deeply everything he does impacts her. She is really young and her world is limited, but it will not be that way always. Eventually, she will be moving on and out and involving herself with people. The skills that she needs to have those successful relationships are being learned right now... and I am afraid of what she is learning. Not only from her father, but from me.
I am inspired by a song by John Mayer called Daughters. Every single word of it is the truth.
I know a girl
She puts the color inside of my world
But she's just like a maze
Where all of the walls all continually change
And I've done all I can
To stand on her steps with my heart in my hands
Now I'm starting to see
Maybe it's got nothing to do with me
Fathers, be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
So mothers, be good to your daughters too
Oh, you see that skin?
It's the same she's been standing in
Since the day she saw him walking away
Now she's left
Cleaning up the mess he made
So fathers, be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
So mothers, be good to your daughters too
Boys, you can break
You'll find out how much they can take
Boys will be strong
And boys soldier on
But boys would be gone without the warmth from
A womans good, good heart
On behalf of every man
Looking out for every girl
You are the god and the weight of her world
So fathers, be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
So mothers, be good to your daughters too
You see that? You are the god and the weight of her world. You are the mold that she will be looking to fill later in her life. Daughters will love like you do. Okay, no more lecturing. I have my own preaching to practice.
