Life
Father's Day is just around the corner, and while it's mostly a day of backyard barbecues, rounds of golf, and trips to the amusement park, there's also a lot of emotion for some of us. Whether you're the ultimate daddy's girl or you've struggled in your relationship with your dad, this holiday may cause you to reflect. I know that as a mom of a daughter, Father's Day is a reminder to me of just how fortunate my baby girl is to have such a wonderful dad. Regardless of your relationship, there are some Father's Day quotes from daughters that can resonate with everyone.
This year, Father's Day falls on June 17, marking the 108th official Father's Day celebration in the United States, according to History.com. As you can guess, the idea for the holiday came from the celebration of Mother's Day, when it was decided that dads should have their own special day of appreciation. It's generally a fun day full of love, grilled meat products, and lots and lots of dad jokes. No french fries, though, because they're not French as they were actually cooked in Greece. (You simply cannot talk about Father's Day quotes without a dad joke.)
1
“It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived.” ― 'To Kill a Mockingbird'
This is my favorite father/daughter relationship in all of literature, I think. It's the pure love and idol worship Scout has for her father, justice warrior, Atticus Finch. It's sweet and resonates somewhere deep in all of us.
2
"I think his positivity and seeing the good in people. He just never said bad words about anyone. I really believe it was that outlook, really honoring people and trying to find out who they really are underneath what they present themselves to be." — Bonnie Raitt
In an interview with The Huffington Post, Raitt spoke candidly about the inspiration her father John Raitt, the late Broadway star, gave her throughout her life. In an era of what seems like constant negativity, to believe so much in your father's positivity is beautiful.
3
“I know that throughout my life I have struggled to forgive my father. Now, as I get older, I wish most of all that he had been able to find a way to forgive himself.” — 'Do Not Say We Have Nothing'
Thien's novel Do Not Say We Have Nothing takes the reader on a journey through the cultural revolution of Maoist China. It's a sweeping book that was shortlisted for the Man Booker prize, and deservedly so. The book examines complicated family dynamics in a way we're not used to seeing. It's both beautiful and brutal.
4
"My Daddy was my hero. He was always there for me when I needed him. He listened to me and taught me so many things. But most of all he was fun." — Bindi Irwin
If you're unfamiliar with crocodile hunter Steve Irwin, than you probably don't know his daughter Bindi, who now works at his animal sanctuary in Australia. However, this quote about her late father will certainly touch your heart either way.
5
“Do you know how lucky you are to have a daughter who loves you so much?” — 'Hippie Boy: A Girl's Story'
To say Ingrid's relationship with her father is troubled is putting it lightly. However, in her autobiography, she does recount how deeply she also loves and needs her father. It's soul-wrenching and heartfelt.
6
“She had never loved him so much as she did in that instant.” — 'Game Of Thrones'
If you've watched or read (or both) Game of Thrones, than you know there's no daughter and father pair stronger than Arya Stark and her father. I mean, it's so absolute that Arya kept the receipts and is now slaying everyone who ever wronged her family. It's pretty deep. And bloody. Also, murderous. Don't get on her bad side — her father taught her to go for the kill.
7
"Sometimes, I think he could still swing me up in his arms and make the rest of the world disappear, even if his world is disappearing." — '31'
For any of us with dementia or Alzheimer's in our families, watching our beloved dads' mind decay from disease is brutal, and watching it change who they are is devastating. Sometimes, what we remember, we reach for, even if it's impossible.
8
“I had a daddy, didn't I? He wasn't perfect and he certainly wasn't the one I'd dreamed he would have been, but I had one all the same. And I'd love him as much as I'd hated him, hadn't I? All that distance, all that time wasted, but the fact that he'd inspired such passion in me meant something in itself. I can honestly say now that I think that's special. Screwed up and turned inside out, we were special him and me, and I am so thankful that I can say that I had a daddy and that he mattered. All his faults and failures mean nothing to me now.” — 'After Forever Ends'
Romances are given toward sentimental prose, but this one pulls at every heart string I have. Ramone's book, After The Forever Ends, allows the reader to get well into the mind of loss, love, heartbreak, and the family relationships we all long for.
9
"He opened the jar of pickles when no one else could. He was the only one in the house who wasn’t afraid to go into the basement by himself. He cut himself shaving, but no one kissed it or got excited about it. It was understood when it rained, he got the car and brought it around to the door. When anyone was sick, he went out to get the prescription filled. He took lots of pictures… but he was never in them." — Erma Bombeck
In Erma Bombeck's hilarious memoir Love, Erma, she talks about her relationship with her father in an almost childlike way that will get you right in the feels. It's a stunning portrait of a man in a way that lures the reader to think of their own dad, and all the pictures he's not in.
10
"A father’s tears and fears are unseen, his love is unexpressed, but his care and protection remains as a pillar of strength throughout our lives." — Ama H. Vanniarachchy
In her book, The Kind Prince, Sri Lankan author Ama H. Vanniarachchy gives her version of the ideal father, and I'll tell you, I think it's just about everyone's.
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