Daddy's Little Girl

by Rosie G.

Over the past several weeks, I can’t help but notice fathers with their daughters. Some were newborns, others were between the ages of 1 and 5 years old. I joked around with the fathers, telling them that they were in big trouble. Their answer: she can have anything she wants.

Many men out there will tell you that they desire a boy to be the first born. You know the typical saying: the boy carries the family name and would be head of the house if anything should happen to their father. Then a daughter is born and dad has lost his mind. Many fathers will say they fell in love when they first saw their daughter. They will protect her always and can’t even fathom a guy coming near their precious baby girl. The relationship between father and daughter is very important in the life of a woman. How this relationship plays out is how it will shape her future with men.

The other side of this is that women learn early how to manipulate men. We saw what worked with our fathers. We used our feminine wiles on Dad. Dad was like silly putty in our hands. I remember as a child how my Dad would light up when I would come into the room. My Dad, may he rest in peace, had a very hard time letting me grow up. I’m sure that is the hardest thing for a parent to do: letting go.

I have to say that I am the woman I am today because of my father. He taught me many things in life, and I thought I would forget them when he passed away. I truly think he brainwashed me because I remember all those sayings that he used to tell me. There are two lessons that I remember the most. One was when I was 16 years old. He sat me down and had a glass of water on the table. He spilled the water on the floor, then asked me if I could put that water back in the glass. I was confused and didn’t know what he was getting at. I answered with a smart-aleck reply. My dad, very seriously, looked at me and asked the question again. I told him no, I would have to go and fill up the glass at the faucet. He then told me, that is a woman’s reputation: once it’s gone, you can’t get it back.

The other one was when I was 25 years old and I was telling my dad how guys nowadays don’t want to wait. If a woman doesn’t give it up by the third date, they will leave you. My dad’s response was for them to go sleep with their mama! He told me that if a man knows he has met a good woman, he will cross the ocean for her if he has to.

I have to say he was right about all that he taught my sister and I. It was all about a woman having integrity, respect for herself, and not giving away her power. Thanks, Dad, for making me and my sister into the women we are today.

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and should not be understood to be shared by Being Latino, Inc.

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