Thoughts from the Man Cave

A Hug, A Smile, and That Special Daddy Daughter Connection by Mike Savicki photos courtesy of Afterburner Communications

Dear Caroline,

For each of the last nine years I have written you a special letter like this as a way to celebrate Father’s Day. I remember in my early letters I told you how being a dad doesn’t come with a handbook and sometimes it’s hard for me to figure out what to do. In other letters I’ve shared how much I love watching you grow. What I have learned by watching is that as much as I want to control certain things, sometimes being a dad means getting out of the way, letting things happen, and watching you blossom.

This year, while I could have written about some of the wild and crazy things that happened, like the time we drove to Charleston for vacation, you broke your arm, and we drove right back, I thought I’d write about something a little deeper. A sort of intangible topic, you might say. It’s a feeling I get, a bond, an unspoken daddy-daughter language. It’s hard to put into words but I’ll try.

You see, there are times, whether you notice it or not, that I might be feeling a little “daddy stressed” or “daddy confused” or even “daddy insecure” and you come to the rescue. You might not even know you are doing it, but when I’m feeling a certain way and see you smile, or you give me a hug, or even plant a kiss on my cheek, I feel a sense of reassurance and validation. It’s kind of like, without using words, you are telling me, “Daddy you are doing a good job, I’ve got this, and thank you.” developing a sense of kindness and compassion, an ability to be empathetic and feel with others, and a huge heart that you open up to those around you.

I guess what I have noticed this year especially is how our amazing daddy daughter connection is taking shape. I see it when we are doing fun things together, I see it when we are doing chores, and I see it when we are simply moving through the day doing who knows what. I have always heard that the daddy daughter bond is special, and we have been so fortunate to be able to spend so much time together as you are growing, I just never knew how much all of this would make me a better person.

So, as Father’s Day approaches once again, thanks, kiddo. Thanks for your hugs and your smiles. Thanks for your love and trust. Thanks for opening up that huge heart of yours not just to me but also to everyone else in your circles. Our daddy daughter connection is a special one, isn’t it? I appreciate you. And I’m lucky we get to do so much together. To learn. To explore, To discover. To live. To love.

Happy Father’s Day, kiddo!