I wrote this after Peter died as a keepsake for the girls, my words an accompaniment to a beautiful book of pictures of them with their “Baba” (the Chinese word for Daddy.) It’s the best description I could give of the incredible gift he gave our girls in his all too short time with them.
In writing it, I realized that Peter showed me, for the first time in my life, what a truly good father is to his children. I feel so grateful that I was able to choose that kind of father for my children and I can still see and feel the incredible impact he had on our girls.
Like so many of us, I did not experience that growing up, and had to find the parts of myself that a loving father would have encouraged and supported within myself. It took a long time and a few mistakes along the way, but with Peter, I was finally able to have the kind of family I always dreamed of. Now that I am both father and mother to our girls, I try every day to bring his quiet thoughtfulness as well as my goofy exuberance to life in our little family. We are still a pretty happy bunch, with one of us cheering mightily from the other side.
Whoever you are and whatever you may have known and lived until now, it’s never too late to have a happy childhood.
A Father’s Love
A Father’s Love is in the comfort of his arms
Carrying you throughout your life
Over obstacles large and small
Wrapping you ‘round in safety and warmth
Giving you the courage to venture forth
He’s the ship you sail
And the safe harbour
that welcomes you home
A Father‘s Love is full of delight
Goofy and magical at the same time
Making you laugh at the silly side of life
And helping you to see the world with joy and wonder
He’s the giggling toss in the air
The feeling of flying
And the soft, safe place to land
A Father’s Love believes in you
Not because you’re smart or beautiful
(Although he thinks that, too!)
He’s the first and last to love you
Just because you’re you
He’s your inner wisdom and outer confidence
His love is the rock on which you build your home
And the exhilaration you feel when you test your wings
A Father’s Love makes you believe in yourself
and feel brave enough to try new things
Interests that he shares with you
And passions you find that are all your own
He wants the best for you
And believes you can do
Anything you set your heart on
He opens the door, takes your hand
And leads you gently forward into the world
A Father’s Love
Teaches you to be gentle and kind
His love is tender and soft
He shows you the true meaning
Of the word “gentle-man”
His love is the peace in your heart
For the rest of your life
A Father’s Love
Is a promise he keeps
To love you forever
To shine a light and show you the way
A Father’s Love is a circle
That can never be broken
A hug that lasts till the end of time
And a hand in yours
Forever
