Last week I popped up the road for a cheeky manicure and pedicure just before the salon was about to close. There was just me and three others indulging in a little pampering late at night. I sat in between them and soon figured out that they were a family, a dad, a mum and a daughter.
I find father/daughter relationships quite interesting. They can often be strained and awkward, and others really quite close and heartwarming – where the dad still considers his daughter to be ‘his little girl’.
My relationship with my dad interchanges between the two. Hubby likes to tease me by telling me I sound like a little girl when talking to my dad. I really don’t know what he’s talking about. For a few years I didn’t really talk to my dad, for reasons I’d rather not go into, but since turning 30 and becoming a mum myself … I’ve realised life is too short.
As I sat between the father and daughter as they had their nails tended to, I listened to him speak to his daughter in a way that someone speaks when they want to be overheard. Do you know what I mean? They ribbed each other, he joked that she was going to pay for them all to have their nails done, and then in the end he pulled at his own wallet, as dads do, and paid up.
With Father’s Day this weekend I’m wondering, what’s your relationship with your dad like?
I recently heard my dad say the most gorgeous thing. He has 4 daughters and then a son. He said “I was ecstatic when we had a our baby boy but nothing beats little girls”
Oh melty ♥
Thanks lovely… I have always had a close relationship with my dad. He will always be the most important man in my life
Hmmm my dad's an army guy and doesn't really talk much about his work life, although, he used to tell me a lot of things about our family history which I love 🙂
Ai @ Sakura Haruka
I recently got a job as a journalist and my Dad told me how proud he was that both his daughters were pursuing careers he loves/would have loved to do (both my Dad and sister are lawyers). His excitement and enthusiasm nearly made me cry! I love my Dad
Can I just say that I was very excited to see my shadow image of my husband and daughter feature on this post! It popped up on my facebook page feed and I thought that it looked familiar!
I see that you got it from Pinterest – love me some Pinterest too.
Anyway – that's my excitement for the day!
k8
Other than when my Dad taught me how to drive, we have always had a pretty good relationship. Like many dads of his era, though, he often has trouble expressing himself. Once he said to me: “I am so proud I could sh*t myself” – it was the most genuine, heartfelt thing he's ever said to me…in a strange way, it felt good! <3 Zanni
Love that photo you chose. Sadly my father died when I was just 13 and I've always felt a huge gap in my life, even more so now that I have children of my own and I know what a fabulous grandfather he would have been. My Huzz and daughter and a beautiful relationship (as does he with my son) and I so hope this continues forever.
Love this post. My relationship with my dad could be better, but seeing how 'close' my brothers are to him, he'd say we had a great relationship.
But I think I'd like it to be a little different.
Glad you decided life was too short. That's exactly what I think. xx
My Dad passed away 10 years ago next month – and still think about him every single day. Like Victoria I mourn what my kids have to miss out on. He would have been the best grandad. A year before he passed he met me in Italy after I had finished backpacking around Europe with friends -we did this big road trip around Italy just the two of us and feel blessed everyday we got to spend that time together.
I love watching hubby with our girls – I hope someday they get to have the same opportunity.
My dad is amazing… he is the first person I call if I am in trouble and need someone to talk to. And he just knows how to help you – last year my husband came off his push bike and we ended up in hospital – we had only be there 20 min when dad walked through the door. He bought us a muffin and him just being there and that made us feel so much better.
I adore my Dad – we are not close intellectually as he is not a big talker but when I was little we used to do everything together, thus I learnt how to change the oil in a car and still don't do so good on the baking/cooking front. The thing that makes us close is the security I have in his love for me. It is so obvious and I just rest in it – my Mum well that's a whole other story… Glad you are getting on with your Dad, in the end it makes it easier on you to be on good terms, I realised that too this year with my Mum.
Nicole
What a great post Chantelle. I am happy to say that the relationship between my Dada and I is now at the best place it's ever been. I adored him as a little girl and then realised some home truths when I was a teenager. For a good 10 years I held anger, bitterness and resentment towards him, until I became a parent myself. And it all changed. I am now aware that not only are we all human, we're all fragile too. Sometimes the things we do and the decisions we make can't be helped, they are what they are. One thing I've always known is just how much my Dada loves me. I honestly believe he would walk to the end of the earth for me. He adores my 6 older brothers, but as he always says I have caused him far more worry and concern than all of them put together. Not because I've been that bad, but because I'm his girl. I am glad I also worked out that life is too short and have learnt to be a more tolerant, understanding person as a result. My Dada has his faults, but I think he's pretty darn awesome and I love him to bits xo
I didnt see my father from age 1 -12 so never really bonded with him. We keep in touch (he lives the other side of Australia) but its limited. Im very close to my mum though. I do with i was close to my Dad but its what it is i guess.
My relationship with my Dad is awesome. We are born on the same day and we are best friends.
He taught me to drive, he drove me to my newsagency job at 6am on his one day off for two years and he has the best laugh of anyone I've ever met.
He often has people ask him how he has such a great relationship with his daughter and he doesn't have a clue how to respond. We don't try, we just really love each other.
My relationship with dad is not so great 🙁 It's not bad, we're just not close at all. We live in the same house but can literally go for days at a time without saying more than “hi” to each other. I can't even remember the last time we had a one-on-one conversation! It's a really strange relationship that even I don't understand, but as a positive, it means I'll be making sure my future husband doesn't do the same thing with our kids! xx