Daddy's Little Girl
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Daddy's Little Girl
"Will you tell Daddy for me?"
That was the worst part. At seventeen, telling my mom I was pregnant was hard enough, but telling my dad was impossible. Daddy had always been a constant source of courage in my life. He had always looked at me with pride, and I had always tried to live my life in a way that would make him proud. Until this. Now it would all be shattered. I would no longer be Daddy's little girl. He would never look at me the same again. I heaved a defeated sigh and leaned against my mom for comfort.
"I'll have to take you somewhere while I tell your father. Do you understand why?"
"Yes, Mama." Because he wouldn't be able to look at me, that's why.
I went to spend the evening with the minister of our church, Brother Lu, who was the only person I felt comfortable with at that time. He counseled and consoled me, while Mom went home and called my dad at work to break the news.
It was all so unreal. At that time, being with someone who didn't judge me was a good thing. We prayed and talked, and I began to accept and understand the road that lay ahead for me. Then I saw the headlights in the window.
Mom had come back to take me home, and I knew Dad would be with her. I was so afraid. I ran out of the living room and into the small bathroom, closing and locking the door. Brother Lu followed and gently reprimanded me.
"Missy, you can't do this. You have to face him sooner or later. He isn't going home without you. C'mon."
"Okay, but will you stay with me? I'm scared."
"Of course, Missy. Of course." I opened the door and slowly followed Brother Lu back to the living room. Mom and Dad still hadn't come in yet. I figured they were sitting in the car, preparing Dad for what to do or say when he saw me. Mom knew how afraid I was. But it wasn't fear that my father would yell at me or be angry with me. I wasn't afraid of him. It was the sadness in his eyes that frightened me. The knowledge that I had been in trouble and pain, and had not come to him for help and support. The realization that I was no longer his little girl.
I heard the footsteps on the sidewalk and the light tap on the wooden door. My lip began to quiver, opening a new floodgate of tears, and I hid behind Brother Lu. Mom walked in first and hugged him, then looked at me with a weak smile. Her eyes were swollen from her own tears, and I was thankful she had not wept in front of me. And then he was there. He didn't even shake Luther's hand, just nodded as he swept by, coming to me and gathering me up into his strong arms, holding me close as he whispered to me, "I love you. I love you, and I will love your baby, too."
He didn't cry. Not my dad. But I felt him quiver against me. I knew it took all of his control not to cry, and I was proud of him for that. And thankful. When he pulled back and looked at me, there was love and pride in his eyes. Even at that difficult moment.
"I'm sorry, Daddy. I love you so much."
"I know. Let's go home." And home we went. All of my fear was gone. There would still be pain and trials that I could not even imagine. But I had a strong, loving family that I knew would always be there for me. Most of all, I was still Daddy's little girl, and armed with that knowledge, there wasn't a mountain I couldn't climb or a storm I couldn't weather.
Thank you, Daddy.
Michele Campbell
Daddy's Little Girl. Reprinted by permission of Michele Campbell ©1999
Michele Campbell -
This one speaks about an important issue: teenage pregnancy and how parents should react to it. If one day your teenage daughter tells you she is pregnant, will you still forgive her for what she has done and take her and her baby in? Or disown her?
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are we talking IDEALLY or PRACTICALLY?
i mean love your daughter is love your daughter, i agree
but in this practical world, it's not so easy to just love, and everything will be ok.
nevertheless, touching story, very touching. great dad!! -
i will do wat grandpa did.. take care of her, and her babyOriginally posted by rainee:This one speaks about an important issue: teenage pregnancy and how parents should react to it. If one day your teenage daughter tells you she is pregnant, will you still forgive her for what she has done and take her and her baby in? Or disown her?
and try to help in wateva way possible
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Its such a warm story...
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But to disown your own daughter at this point and let her fend for herself? She would be at her most vulnurable moment...Originally posted by jOhO:are we talking IDEALLY or PRACTICALLY?
i mean love your daughter is love your daughter, i agree
but in this practical world, it's not so easy to just love, and everything will be ok.
nevertheless, touching story, very touching. great dad!!
We are not perfect, everyone makes mistake, just that some mistake happen to be bigger than others. But can you find it in your heart to forgive them? -
wished i had a dad like that. lolz...
but seriously, if it was my daughter, i'd freak out...
but then again, that's prob cos i can't even imagine myself getting pregnant, much less my daughter.. lolz... -
wished i had a dad like that. lolz...
but seriously, if it was my daughter, i'd freak out...
but then again, that's prob cos i can't even imagine myself getting pregnant, much less my daughter.. lolz... -
It is hard to do...but I guess love conquers allOriginally posted by shinta:i will do wat grandpa did.. take care of her, and her baby
and try to help in wateva way possible
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Yea, I would be shocked at first, but then i would think that she must be feeling really helpless at this point...so I will try my best to help her...Originally posted by starblue:wished i had a dad like that. lolz...
but seriously, if it was my daughter, i'd freak out...
but then again, that's prob cos i can't even imagine myself getting pregnant, much less my daughter.. lolz... -
erm... i didn't say anything about disowning my daughter...Originally posted by rainee:But to disown your own daughter at this point and let her fend for herself? She would be at her most vulnurable moment...
We are not perfect, everyone makes mistake, just that some mistake happen to be bigger than others. But can you find it in your heart to forgive them?
honestly, wat's there to forgive if there's no wrongdoing in the first place?
my daughter getting pregnant (not in ideal situations) isn't a wrongdoing towards me.. it would be "wrong" in a sense that it could drastically change her life, and some (most) think, for the worse.
anywayz.. i think disowning is abit drastic. anyway, are u or anyone in such a situation? hope it's just me, but u sound a little paranoid.
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No, I am not in this situation...I am just saying this is pretty common nowadays, esp with more teens getting involved in premarital sex without protection. And I have seen how some parents treated their own daughters who have an unwanted pregnancy...makes me feel sad...Originally posted by jOhO:erm... i didn't say anything about disowning my daughter...
honestly, wat's there to forgive if there's no wrongdoing in the first place?
my daughter getting pregnant (not in ideal situations) isn't a wrongdoing towards me.. it would be "wrong" in a sense that it could drastically change her life, and some (most) think, for the worse.
anywayz.. i think disowning is abit drastic. anyway, are u or anyone in such a situation? hope it's just me, but u sound a little paranoid. 
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oh yes it is sad...Originally posted by rainee:No, I am not in this situation...I am just saying this is pretty common nowadays, esp with more teens getting involved in premarital sex without protection. And I have seen how some parents treated their own daughters who have an unwanted pregnancy...makes me feel sad...
and it goes both ways.
a dad CONTINUALLY tells his daughter to mix with the right pple and trying to protect her, yet she goes out and gets pregnant. sometimes it's not HER fault, sometimes guys are really too puasuasive etc, but the dad can be totally devastated.
then again, sometimes it's just all in a day's work. the girl get's it aborted, and everything is fine again, no worries.
all sorts of pple in this world lar. dun stress urself out, if u are. -
I am not stressed out..I am just trying to get people's opinion on this issue...Getting people's opinion on this issue does not mean I am really troubled by it...sometimes I just happen to be curious about what people think about itOriginally posted by jOhO:oh yes it is sad...
and it goes both ways.
a dad CONTINUALLY tells his daughter to mix with the right pple and trying to protect her, yet she goes out and gets pregnant. sometimes it's not HER fault, sometimes guys are really too puasuasive etc, but the dad can be totally devastated.
then again, sometimes it's just all in a day's work. the girl get's it aborted, and everything is fine again, no worries.
all sorts of pple in this world lar. dun stress urself out, if u are. -
If my daughter told me she's pregnant (let's be fair here - applies also if my son got a girl pregnant) , I think I'd be damn pissed at the whole situation. At her, at the guy, at utter stupidity, at dumb bad luck.
After a cooling down stage perhaps I can think rationally about how to help her. I won't feel angry forever. But there's no denying the initial rage and disappointment.
The ideal Huxtables family is just that, an ideal. Parents are no different from normal human beings who have real expectations and real feelings. The miracle is learning to overcome raw emotion and being able to stand by your kids. -
Yea, I would feel disappointed, but then I will try to handle the situation in a more rational manner rather than resorting to throwing her out from the house altogether...Originally posted by choco B:If my daughter told me she's pregnant (let's be fair here - applies also if my son got a girl pregnant) , I think I'd be damn pissed at the whole situation. At her, at the guy, at utter stupidity, at dumb bad luck.
After a cooling down stage perhaps I can think rationally about how to help her. I won't feel angry forever. But there's no denying the initial rage and disappointment.
The ideal Huxtables family is just that, an ideal. Parents are no different from normal human beings who have real expectations and real feelings. The miracle is learning to overcome raw emotion and being able to stand by your kids. -
ahah okok cool cool..Originally posted by rainee:I am not stressed out..I am just trying to get people's opinion on this issue...Getting people's opinion on this issue does not mean I am really troubled by it...sometimes I just happen to be curious about what people think about it
another point, not entirely related to this topic tho:
wat pple say or feel they might do, isn't exactly what they WILL do if it really happened to them.
i believe most of us WANT to do the right thing, which i believe, is to EVENTUALLY stand on our loved one's side and support them. i say eventually becos echoing wat choco said, some of us need time to simmer down. -
Whatever I would do, throwing her out of the house is something I will never do.Rage, anger and disappointment will be there initially at first, but in the end, she's still my daughter and the baby inside her is a living being too.
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At the end of the day, family ties are still the most impt tin...
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The subject of the story is teen pregnancy...but when I read the story I was more touched by what I feel is the real theme of the story...the love a parent has for their children. Despite of what his daughter had done (in this case - being pregant at 17 and something quite difficult for a parent to accept), this father was able to still love his daughter. This is I believe true unconditional love.Originally posted by rainee:This one speaks about an important issue: teenage pregnancy and how parents should react to it. If one day your teenage daughter tells you she is pregnant, will you still forgive her for what she has done and take her and her baby in? Or disown her?
Thnks rainee for the story...a real chicken soup to warm the heart... -
This is sometin the world is lacking in...Originally posted by I_am_PeTe_Parker:The subject of the story is teen pregnancy...but when I read the story I was more touched by what I feel is the real theme of the story...the love a parent has for their children. Despite of what his daughter had done (in this case - being pregant at 17 and something quite difficult for a parent to accept), this father was able to still love his daughter. This is I believe true unconditional love.
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true...Originally posted by Simple_Bear:At the end of the day, family ties are still the most impt tin...
There is a saying abt this,"Blood will always be thicker than water."