“Mothers are their children’s safe place.”

I hear this all the time. I feel this way about my mom, and since I’ve become a mom, I know this is true for my kids as well. 

As a daughter though, I’ve come to recognize that dads can be a safe place, too. 

A dad’s arms are a safe place for a daughter. 

It’s there that he rocks her as he gazes at her sweet baby face. It’s those arms that hold her toddler body as she falls asleep on his shoulder, comfortable against him because she knows she’s secure. It’s those same arms that get wrapped around her on her wedding day, when he just doesn’t want to let go. 

A dad’s listening ear is a safe place for a daughter. 

She babbles on about the activities she did at school that day and about each of her friends. She knows Dad will listen. She asks him questions because she knows he will do his best to answer, and never shames her for asking. As she grows, she goes to him for the harder issues that life presents. Dad always welcomes her with his nonjudgmental demeanor and she feels safe sharing exactly how she feels. 

A dad’s words are a safe place for a daughter. 

He makes up silly song lyrics to sing her that always makes her giggle. As she grows, He speaks life into her soul. He calls her beautiful, and she can tell he really means it. But when he looks at her, he sees so much more than her appearance. He tells her she is strong, he tells her to run after her dreams. He seems so sure of her and so proud of her that she starts to believe in herself, too. 

A dad’s home is a safe place for a daughter.

The home he raised her in. The one they ran around playing in. The one they made memories in the backyard in. The one she came back to visit during the summers of her college years. The place she comes to for holidays and to visit now. They sit on that same couch and eat at that same table that they did for years. She still calls it “home” and Dad feels like home. 

A dad’s caring heart is a safe place for a daughter. 

He often checks on her car to make sure it has gas, that the tires aren’t low, and fixes whatever needs to be fixed. He also checks on her heart and makes sure she is being treated well, that she is happy. He wants to make sure she is doing OK. He would do anything to make his little girl happy.

A dad is his daughter’s first knight in shining armor. He is her protector. 

He’s the one who makes her feel loved and special. The one who speaks into her worth, helping her understand she deserves to be treated well.

As she grows, she still knows Dad is always there. He’ll always ask how she is. He’ll always make time for her. He’ll still be there to catch her when she falls.

And because of all this, Dad will always be her safe place, too.

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