“Why a Daughter Needs a Dad”

The dads in my life mean more to me than I could possibly express. And yet every year, especially since having our own kid, I majorly struggle to express it on Father’s Day. What kind of gift? Funny card or serious? Brunch or dinner?

Yesterday, I was roaming a little helplessly through the Irvine Spectrum to find gifts for my dad and Douglas, when I stumbled upon this GEM in the book section at Target. I will round out the gift with a few other manly tokens—golf balls, surf wax and the like, plus breakfast in bed for my baby daddy—but this treasure touched my heart. And I know that they’ll love it, too.

It’s called Why a Daughter Needs a Dad: 100 Reasons*, by Gregory E. Lang, hardcover for $14.99. Here are some lovely excerpts—just a few of the zillions within. I feel like he wrote my thoughts for me, and I can’t wait to share this book with the men I love most:

“A Daughter Needs a Dad…

To learn what she should expect from her husband.

To teach her to preserve her dignity during difficult times.

To help her believe in herself as a parent, and that in discipline, there is hope.

To teach her how things work.

To fix her favorite things.

To show her how to fix things for herself.

To make the tough decisions for her until she is able to make them for herself.

To teach her that forgiving is a natural thing to do.

To teach her that she can forgive more than once.

To make the complex simple and the painful bearable.

To join her journey when she is too afraid to walk alone.

To teach her the meaning of integrity, and how to avoid the crooked path.

So that when no one else is there for her, she can close her eyes and see him.

Who gives her a refuge in a home secured with faith.

To help her be the best mother she can be.”

Happy Father’s Day, to all you outstanding dads. The significance of your role is immeasurable, incomparable and irreplaceable. So much love to each one of you!

And mamas, have fun spoiling your men this weekend!