Daddy's little girl: My last love and her first

I know God has loaned her to me for a very short time, until someone else sweeps her off her feet and takes her away.

Yousuf Bawany September 01, 2012
Daughters are precious. Seems like yesterday when I took mine into my arms for the very first time; it’s been 17 months already, and time seems to have no intention of slowing down.

At the office, I just can’t wait for the day to end so that I can enjoy the sound of her laughter, the sight of her cherubic face, the touch of her little arms wrapped around my neck, the taste of the half-eaten saliva-soaked potato chip that she lovingly shoves into my mouth, and the smell of watermelon-flavoured baby shampoo in her hair.

Every day that I get to spend with her is a day I cherish.



There are instances when my daughter is out with her mother and I finally have some peace. I hate to admit it but I am super-excited about the prospect of getting some alone time for myself, but five minutes into this ‘quality time’, and I start missing her immensely.

So ,to fill this void, I grab my car keys and go pick her up from wherever she has gone to; if that’s not an option (like when she’s with her mother at a wedding reception), all I can do is wait for her to come back.

Sigh!

At this point in her life, she’s on the road to self-discovery, learning new words, acquiring new tastes, and making bold choices at a staggering pace. Fairly recently, to my utter pride, she started calling me ‘Papa’, while referring to herself as ‘Dolly’. Moreover, she now understands the meaning of ‘No, No, No!’ and she doesn’t hesitate to say it out loud if something is not to her liking!



She’s becoming head-strong, assertive and opinionated - less a child, more an adult. It makes me reflect on the high intellectual level kids these days have as compared to those of my generation, all the while being painfully aware that she’s growing up faster than I want her to.

There are a few quirks of hers that, at times, astound, amaze, annoy, irritate, and even worry me, but looking at them from another perspective, I am reminded that these cute little habits of hers won’t last forever, that the sands of time are slipping, no matter how tightly I try holding on to it.

So if you have a little angel in your life, just:

1. Let her snuggle and sleep in your arms all night even if you find it uncomfortable; it won’t be long before she starts getting comfortable with her independence.



2. Let her hug you and kiss you and call you ‘papa’ incessantly; it won’t be long before she leaves you for another man.

3. Let her ask as many questions as she wants and answer her no matter how many times she asks them; it won’t be long before she discovers Google.



4. Let her run all over the house like a headless chicken, even if it means getting a few bumps on her head; it won’t be long before she is bound and gagged by the ‘norms‘ of our society.

5. Let her squeal with joy as you throw her up in the air, waiting to fall back into your arms; it won’t be long before she gets too heavy to carry.

6. Let her throw tantrums when she’s mad; it won’t be long before she starts hiding her emotions behind a smile.

7. Let her make ‘pretend‘ calls on your phone; it won’t be long before she starts making ‘real‘ calls and you’ll be the one frowning at the bills.



8. Let her eat what she wants, when she wants; it won’t be long before she starts counting calories.

9. Let her put her feet on your feet while you walk; it won’t be long before she finds her own stride.



10. Let her drag/squeeze you into her four-by-four play tent to have a tea party; it won’t be long before she discovers that the exact same (invisible) area around her is actually her ‘personal space‘.



11. Let her roar with laughter when you make funny faces at her; it won’t be long before she develops a sense of humour and realises funny faces aren’t ‘funny’ anymore.

12. Let her run straight into your arms when you get home from work; it won’t be long before she has more pressing matters on her mind than to greet her tired old man.



13. Let her have as much milk as she wants; it won’t be long before she finds you chasing after her for her daily intake of calcium.



14. Let her wake you up in the morning; it won’t be long before she leaves for school by the time you wake up.

15.  Let her believe she is Cinderella; it won’t be long before she realises life isn’t a fairy tale.



16. Let her wear clothes/accessories that match yours; it won’t be long before she hates the very idea of color-coordinating dresses with her dad.



People say you can only understand being the father of a daughter if you have one of your own - this could never have been more true.

The first time I laid eyes on my daughter, I cried, knowing that God has loaned her to me for a very short time, until someone else sweeps her off her feet and takes her away. Try as I might, I can’t delay the inevitable or stop time for that matter, but she’ll always be my baby girl no matter how old she gets.

Tell her, everyday,
'Papa loves you, darling, and he knows he will always be your first love.'



The original version of this post can be seen here.

Read more by Yousuf here, or follow him on Twitter @YousufBawany
WRITTEN BY:
Yousuf Bawany A writer who enjoys to cook foods from across the world. He blogs at http://yousufbawany.wordpress.com. He tweets @YousufBawany (https://twitter.com/YousufBawany)
The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

COMMENTS (44)

Angelic | 11 years ago | Reply Absolutely beautiful!! Thank you for writing this post. My Fiancé is expecting his very first daughter & this was just so perfect for him to read. I believe a daughters first love is their Daddy but a Daddy's first True Love will always be his Little girl <3 Thank you!!!
JB | 11 years ago | Reply As someone who is about to become a father of a daughter himself; I am now more anxious for the day I hold her in my arms. Wonderful article! Brought tears in my eyes!
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