There is nothing quite like the love between a daddy and his
little girl, and Richard and Sophia are no exception. Even before she was born,
he began his doting over her. We found
out shortly before Christmas in 1999 that our baby number four was a little
girl. That Christmas Richard lavished me with gifts of pink! He bought me
maternity clothes that would announce to the world the new life I was carrying
was going to change our world…and it surely did!
After three dirty, rambunctious boys, our world was rocked
with estrogen and pigtails. Sophia entered our family and gave all four boys in
the house a better understanding of the moods of females and the different
needs we have from our male counterparts.
Richard of course had many pet names for her, and one that
was prominent was “Princess.” As most every daddy calls his daughter, Princess
was a term to let her know the importance of her position in our house - although
there never really was a question on who ruled here. When my parents took the family to Disney World
when she was only five, we disembarked the monorail and headed for the gates
for The Magic Kingdom. As Sophia entered with her hand in Richard’s, the man
greeted her with, “Good morning, Princess.” She looked up with her big blue eyes
to her daddy and said, “They know my name!” She never realized every little
girl who came through those gates was “Princess” – she thought she was the only
one around!
One of Richard and Sophia’s special dates each year was the
Daddy/Daughter Dance, and their dances covered a decade together. This picture
shows the gift I gave to Richard for Valentine’s Day this year. It was a hard day,
knowing he did not have his princess to take to the dance this year. She always
looked forward to her date where she could get a new dress or buy a cool pair
of Converse shoes. This dance was one that she would never outgrow, and if
given the opportunity, I feel certain she would have driven home from college
to attend with her first love.
There are many seasons in our lives, and Ecclesiastes states
them beautifully. “There is an appointed time for everything….A time to weep
and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.” (vs. 1, 4)
Sophia loved to dance, whether with her daddy on their
special date or at a wedding with her brothers, and those memories forever will
be treasured by us all. The time to dance with her is over, and the mourning
continues. Our laughter has turned to weeping as we constantly miss her, and as I cry for her
every single day.
The seasons will continue to change, although I am not sure
when the mourning leaves – if ever. However, I do know that through life and
even death, she will always remain her Daddy’s girl.
