Sack of potatoes: A father’s love

The magic relationship of a father and his daughters. They adore him, worship him, seek his approval and search out his praise. He is their play thing, their most loved toy. He riles them up and they passionately love it. He throws them in the air, hangs them upside down and struggles to say, ‘No,’ when they demand, ‘Again! Again!’. How can he resist their sparkling eyes and hungry smiles? His daughters have his heart firmly in their grasp.

He comes in the door from a hard day’s work and leaves all that behind when his daughters run up to greet him. Some nights he comes in late, when I’ve just calmed them for bed. He tries to be quiet and steer them to sleep, but his mere presence excites them so much that they get a second wind. He lies in the dark and makes up stories from his head, with his beloved daughters playing starring roles.

His voice so soothing when they are hurt. His arms forever open, warm and welcoming. Sometimes they hurl abuse at him and he brushes it off; they have his unconditional love. It is because of that love they push the boundaries from time to time.

Today at the beach they played their favourite game of the moment, ‘Sack of Potatoes’. They fight to ‘be’ a sack of potatoes being tossed into the sea! Even when his arms ache he carries on, for his precious cargo is not to be let down lightly.

Bull fights and ‘What’s the time Mr Wolf’, chasing round and round in dizzying circles, I could almost hear their hearts beating above the sound of the waves today. Such passion and love. They are so lucky to have such a wonderful father and little Alice whole-heartedly agrees…

This morning on the beach I took time to stop, watch and be grateful. There to calm them when their dizzying hearts send their heads into a frenzy of over-excitement. To pick up the pieces when one gets hurt. To sooth out the creases as best I know and smile when the air is filled with their laughter.

A father’s love for his daughters is something I watch and marvel at, for I too know that love. It is the same love I have as a daughter for my father. Now as a mother I stand and watch, with a knowing heart 🙂