Daddy's Little Girl

Since the days of yore, the birth of a son has always been looked at as a blessing. Women’s lib be damned, we’re supposed to believe that all fathers harbor secret hope for a boy to carry on the family name and the family tradition. It doesn’t matter that we no longer need to populate the world with strong farmhands to work the land; there’s still something about having a gaggle of boys that makes men feel manlier.

My father grew up in a culture that thrived on machismo and still does. If he had a dime for every time one of his cousins or aunts told him he needed a son or asked if he felt bad about not having one, I wouldn’t have so much college debt.

My Dad was different though. From the moment my Mom found out she was pregnant, he wanted a girl. He didn’t care about what his friends or relatives said to him. He didn’t worry about carrying on the family line. He wanted a healthy baby and a little girl.

But in the same way that my Dad never cowed to the criticism about not having a boy, he never succumbed to the stereotypes of what a girl should be like either. When I wanted a baseball glove, he took me to Benny’s in Norwich, CT, to buy my very first, but when I wanted a Cabbage Patch Kid, he stood in a line out the door for that too. When I got my first pink bicycle, my Dad dutifully added the baseball card to the spokes per my request instead of streamers to the handlebars.

My Dad let me be me and some of my fondest memories come from sharing sports together. Whether it was Saturday morning trips to the baseball card store or circling Shea Stadium with a Marlins sign while being pelted with cups... whether it was playing catch in the backyard or being wrapped in his arms after a tough loss to a rival team… my Dad was always there, never once wishing for a son, never once thinking less of me as a daughter.

I may not have preferred the bows and frills when I was growing up and I may still sport bruises on my knees from playing sports, but no matter what, I’ll always be my Daddy’s little girl.

Happy Belated Father’s Day, Dad… and Happy Father’s Day to all the dads who just let their kids be themselves.