Switching Roles
What is a father? A father is someone who supports you, guides you, and molds you. A father is someone who protects you, teaches you, and loves you. A father is someone who is concerned about you, willing to sacrifice for you, and who is proud of you. A father is someone who is meant to discern, forgive, and provide. A father is a friend, a body guard, and a giant teddy bear. In your father's arms you feel protected, loved, and cared for. There is no other feeling in the world like the feeling of being held in your father's arms. Asking this question about the meaning of a father leads me to ask the question..what is a child? Rather, what does it mean to be a child, a child of a father?
A child has no age limit. We are all children to our Heavenly Father, and to our earthly parents. We will always be our parent's children. But what does it mean to be a child? No, the answer isn't wearing diapers and playing with toys for the rest of our lives. Being a child is far more than that. A child is someone who is teachable, willing to learn, and curious about new ways, old ways, any way. A child is strong in hard times, happy in good times, and loving when there is no love to be found anywhere else. A child is a gift, a gift from God, meant to be loved and show love. A child is a miracle to a parent, to a grandparent, to a sibling, and to this world. A child is a connection and a relationship. A connection between the parents, between the parents and God, and between the parents and himself. A relationship is formed between a parent and a child. This relationship is an incredible bond to never be broken or harmed.
In this relationship you share many things. Maybe some jokes, memories, advice, but most importantly unconditional love. The relationship I want to talk about isn't a general relationship between a father and a child, but between a father and a daughter. Not just any father and daughter, but my dad and me. My relationship with my dad will always be one of the most important things to me. The Lord blessed me with such an amazing, inspiring man to call my dad. There are not enough words in the English dictionary to describe how lucky I am to have this man as my dad. My dad is a lot to me, he is my hero, my inspiration, my motivation, my rock, my best friend, but overall my dad is the reason I hold on. He set such an example for me that my main goal is to make him proud, no matter what. I aspire to live a life like my dad did, but not because he was perfect. The opposite actually, because he wasn't perfect but he found a way that worked for him. Boy, did it work for him. I aspire to leave this world with a great impact on it just as my dad did. I do not have these crazy aspirations because of a false image of my father but because of a relationship I developed with him as a little girl, and because of the relationship I saw my father have with the Lord. The relationship between a parent and a child is responsible for changing the world someday. I am fully confident that my relationship with my dad will change the world someday, and that makes me really proud.
You may be wondering about the title of this blog, and how what you have read so far has anything to do with it so I'll let you in. A parent is proud of their child, even down to the simplest things. A parent will always see the best in their child, and believe in them. I am thankful for those type of parents, and God truly blessed me with a mom and dad who are always proud of me. Since my dad has passed I feel as if I have switched roles with him. I feel as if I know what it feels like to be proud of a child because of how proud I am of my dad, and the life he lived. My dad is the ultimate standard in my life. In my eyes there is no one greater, and no one who can compare to my father. I can only imagine that is how a parent must feel about their own child. My love and appreciation grows more each day that my dad is not here with me. I see my dad in such a different light, not only as just my dad, but who he was as a person. Both of which are truly amazing, and a true blessing from God. With all of that being said I believe now that not only are children a gift from God, but a parent is too. A relationship with that parent is a miracle. Everyday I am thankful for my miracle, my relationship with my dad that I will be able to hold on to forever.
Dad, I got a glimpse of you when I looked in the mirror. What I was seeing wasn't me, but an image of you. For that I am honored, not just to look like you but to share so many qualities with you. You are everything I hope to be, and what I will spend my whole life trying to accomplish. In my own way, of course, I wish to live a life like yours just as God has called me to do. Thank you for providing for me, loving me, protecting me, teaching me, and inspiring me. Thank you for being my hero, and my guardian angel. I miss you, and love you more than life itself.
A child has no age limit. We are all children to our Heavenly Father, and to our earthly parents. We will always be our parent's children. But what does it mean to be a child? No, the answer isn't wearing diapers and playing with toys for the rest of our lives. Being a child is far more than that. A child is someone who is teachable, willing to learn, and curious about new ways, old ways, any way. A child is strong in hard times, happy in good times, and loving when there is no love to be found anywhere else. A child is a gift, a gift from God, meant to be loved and show love. A child is a miracle to a parent, to a grandparent, to a sibling, and to this world. A child is a connection and a relationship. A connection between the parents, between the parents and God, and between the parents and himself. A relationship is formed between a parent and a child. This relationship is an incredible bond to never be broken or harmed.
In this relationship you share many things. Maybe some jokes, memories, advice, but most importantly unconditional love. The relationship I want to talk about isn't a general relationship between a father and a child, but between a father and a daughter. Not just any father and daughter, but my dad and me. My relationship with my dad will always be one of the most important things to me. The Lord blessed me with such an amazing, inspiring man to call my dad. There are not enough words in the English dictionary to describe how lucky I am to have this man as my dad. My dad is a lot to me, he is my hero, my inspiration, my motivation, my rock, my best friend, but overall my dad is the reason I hold on. He set such an example for me that my main goal is to make him proud, no matter what. I aspire to live a life like my dad did, but not because he was perfect. The opposite actually, because he wasn't perfect but he found a way that worked for him. Boy, did it work for him. I aspire to leave this world with a great impact on it just as my dad did. I do not have these crazy aspirations because of a false image of my father but because of a relationship I developed with him as a little girl, and because of the relationship I saw my father have with the Lord. The relationship between a parent and a child is responsible for changing the world someday. I am fully confident that my relationship with my dad will change the world someday, and that makes me really proud.
You may be wondering about the title of this blog, and how what you have read so far has anything to do with it so I'll let you in. A parent is proud of their child, even down to the simplest things. A parent will always see the best in their child, and believe in them. I am thankful for those type of parents, and God truly blessed me with a mom and dad who are always proud of me. Since my dad has passed I feel as if I have switched roles with him. I feel as if I know what it feels like to be proud of a child because of how proud I am of my dad, and the life he lived. My dad is the ultimate standard in my life. In my eyes there is no one greater, and no one who can compare to my father. I can only imagine that is how a parent must feel about their own child. My love and appreciation grows more each day that my dad is not here with me. I see my dad in such a different light, not only as just my dad, but who he was as a person. Both of which are truly amazing, and a true blessing from God. With all of that being said I believe now that not only are children a gift from God, but a parent is too. A relationship with that parent is a miracle. Everyday I am thankful for my miracle, my relationship with my dad that I will be able to hold on to forever.
Dad, I got a glimpse of you when I looked in the mirror. What I was seeing wasn't me, but an image of you. For that I am honored, not just to look like you but to share so many qualities with you. You are everything I hope to be, and what I will spend my whole life trying to accomplish. In my own way, of course, I wish to live a life like yours just as God has called me to do. Thank you for providing for me, loving me, protecting me, teaching me, and inspiring me. Thank you for being my hero, and my guardian angel. I miss you, and love you more than life itself.
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