I love Valentine’s Day. Some days I receive red roses and Godiva chocolates. Other days I go on romantic dinner dates. Most days I spend the holiday single. But everyday, I had a man in my life to celebrate love. That man was my father. He always gave me a card and told me all the things he loved about me. He repeated the list throughout the year, and he let me know what he didn’t really like but accepted nonetheless. Because he loved me so much, I am able to love others unconditionally. To celebrate this year, I asked some of my male friends to tell me why they love their daughters dearly. Here’s what they had to say:
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Arnold & Alleah Pittsburgh, PA
“Being a full-time, single father of my 15-year-old daughter since she was three has blessed me with the opportunity to get to know her in a way that most fathers would envy. The once foolish notion of thinking I had a good understanding of women quickly diminishes with each passing phase of my daughter’s life. There are many things I love about my daughter, but what I love most is that she is mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually strong. She has the courage and resilience to succeed in being true to herself regardless of the challenges or obstacles.”
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B.J. Butler, Danequa & Alexis, Virginia Beach, VA
“I have two daughters who think I love one more than the other. The truth is I love them both the same and love their differences the most. With one, I see her strength as a gentle reflection of myself, and I have the chance to give her sound wisdom so she can go further than I did at her age. My other daughter has in her what I struggle to do and that’s just hug them all the time. She does it so naturally.”
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Eric & Jackson, Atlanta, GA
“I love her spirit. My daughter is scared of silly things, like monsters and shadows as every kid should be, but she is fearless about things that would send most adults running – performing on stage, public speaking, entering competitions with no concern about losing.”
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Jackie & Jaicey, Indianapolis, IN
“She is the perfect mix of my personality and my wife’s, and I just love seeing us in her. She is very beautiful and very smart–like for real for real. She amazes me in how she learns and masters things so quickly. And she is a natural athlete. All of that makes her kind of cool.”
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Jermaine & Kayla, Owings Mills, MD
“I love the fact that she is here. Life doesn’t seem complete until you have a child, but it takes having a child to know that you were missing something. It has changed my life completely–from morning to night. So I am just sitting back enjoying my child grow and everyday it’s something new. She is learning from me, and I am definitely learning from her. I love everything about her.”
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Jerome & Aubrey, Dallas, TX
“The absolute best part of me was born on September 26, 2012. Her name is Aubrey and what I love the most about her is her ability to melt away the stress with a smile. At (almost) 5-months-old, she teaches me so much about myself, about being a man, about being a provider. I live for her and would go to the ends of the earth, twice, for her benefit. I thank God every day for choosing me as her father.”
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Kyle & Kendal, Pittsburgh, PA
“My daughter is awesome! She is happy, loving, kind, smart and full of energy. She makes me feel like I have a greater purpose in life. I absolutely love being her dad.”
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Octavis & Nia, Lansing, MI
“I love that Nia at 7-years-old is very independent and aware of her own strengths. Although she has a big brother, she wants to “do it herself”. She is motivated, competitive and relentless until she has “mastered” her goal. I love this spirit in her because I know what she will have to face as a black woman in this world. I feel that God gave her this gift of being an independent, go-getter because He knows this will prepare her for the hurdles she will have to conquer.”
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Shawn & Kennedy, River Rogue, MI
“The thing I love most about Kennedy is her strong personality. She’s her own person. She understands that she’s responsible for herself but within that strong character is a naturally loving person. She wants to pull over and help anyone who’s stranded, even if it’s an animal on the side of the road that was hit by a car. A truly loving heart.”
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Tacuma & Mikhayah, Winston-Salem, NC
“I love most how Mikhayah relentlessly drains every drop of fun, learning and engagement from each day–literally until her body–or her parents–force her to sleep. She is teaching me how to live each day fully and value every opportunity for happiness and connection.”
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Tony & McKenzie, Chicago, IL
“I love her smile and the fact that she is so darn cute! Seriously, I absolutely love McKenzie’s personality. It’s such a perfect mixture of both myself and her mom. I see both of us all over her persona and how she views the world and handles things with such positivity and joy. She has her own unique sense of self that is grounded in a love for life and simple things. Her happiness is contagious!”
Hey BMWK family — What do you love most about your daughter?