If this doesn't choke you up, you ain't human
This is an older story, but still gives the true representation of how we Marines really do conduct ourselves, and what we really consider to be truly important.
From USMC.mil - Marine Link; (Emphasis mine)
By Lance Cpl. Ray Lewis, MCB Camp Pendleton
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (Dec. 15, 2005) -- Hundreds of Marine dads, decked out in their “dress blues” and dress suits, escorted their daughters to Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary School for Mary Fay’s 2nd Annual Father-Daughter Dance Dec. 2.
“Who would wear their ‘dress blues’ if they didn’t have to?” asked Lori DeMille, a second grade teacher at the school. “Be hot and stuffy for two hours; they have to love their kids to go through that. It takes a special dad.”
The dance was a chance for fathers to spend time with their daughters between deployments. It was a night of eating, dancing and bonding.
“It might be small to some, but things like this are big for the hearts of the girls,” said Gunnery Sgt. Samuel Reed, father of Mary Fay elementary students Michaela and Krystal Reed. “It brings unity and builds synergy. Synergy is the relationship.” “I think it’s awesome,” DeMille said. “With the increase of deployments, we saw the need to do more functions like these with our kids.”
Principal Lynn Gilstrap also thinks the dance is an amazing experience for the children and fathers. “A lot of these dads are deploying within the next couple of months,” Gilstrap said. “One dad just got home yesterday and another is deploying tomorrow.”
“(He) deploys in the morning, but he said, ‘I couldn’t miss this night with my little girl,’” DeMille said. Most dads wanted to do all they could to make sure their daughter was as comfortable as possible.
“To help his daughter dance I heard one dad say, ‘step on daddy’s shoes, let him lead you,’” DeMille said.
Gilstrap said the school even had substitute dads to fill in for the fathers who were deployed. “Friends of the dads stepped in,” said DeMille with a sigh, “It’s so beautiful.”
Reed said the dance gave the brother or neighbor of deployed Marines the opportunity to give the daughter the same experience as other daughters with fathers there.
“Mary Fay has given us this opportunity to bond with our daughters, and it’s very appreciated,” said Reed with a smile.
As the night came to a close, dads and daughters exchanged smiles as if it was a memory they’d never forget. “I was raised in a home without a dad,” Gilstrap said. “These are the memories that I wish I had. These daughters will keep this memory for the rest of their lives.”
So much as been written about boys growing up in homes without dads, that sometimes people forget the vital importance of a girl having a dad or a strong and positive male role model during his formative years. At some point, the girl becomes a woman and relationships with men start being an important part of her life - with whom will she compare a potential spouse? You want your daughter, should a loser cross her path, to be able to say, "You're not the man my Dad is," and walk him to the curb.
ReplyDeleteFathers! It is also more about teaching her what to expect on how to treat a lady. It is teaching your daughter how to check her own oil, how to rewire a light socket, how to shoot a gun, how to whistle with two fingers. Girls need to know such skills as much as boys (and Mothers, your sons should know how to do laundry, replace a button, and expand their culinary repetoire beyond Kraft Mac-n-Cheese).
Nothing means as much to a little girl as her dad telling her she's pretty.
ReplyDeleteDigi's comment wasn't up when I sent my comment above, so to her's I will add:
ReplyDeleteMothers (because I think they have a stronger impact in this area) should also teach their sons that boys don't hit girls and both parents should teach their daughters to walk away from any boyfriend, fiance, or husband who hits them. Domestic violence only gets worse and worse as long as the girl/woman keeps coming back.