In light of the untimely death of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, lovingly called “Gigi,” along with the tragic losses of John, Keri, and Alyssa Altobelli, Sarah and Payton Chester, Christina Mauser, and Ara Zobayan, we are all mourning and trying to make sense of it.
The outpouring of support on social media and the media in general for those who lost their lives in the heartbreaking helicopter crash has been unparalleled. The tributes and real tears by superstars, celebrities, and family members and friends have been moving, to say the least.
One of the tributes in particular has resonated with me. It was by ESPN journalist Elle Duncan who met Kobe Bryant at an event where she had to get a picture with the then-soon-to-be Hall of Famer. She laments about his kindness and sincere interest in her eight-month pregnant belly and whether she knew the sex of her new addition yet. She said it was going to be a girl. That’s when Kobe shared with her his thoughts about how girls are the best and how he loves being a girl dad.
I, too, love being a girl dad. I grew up with a brother, and my wife had three older brothers. We are learning on the fly over here, but I will tell you this: I wouldn’t trade anything about being a #girldad. There’s something about it that makes me feel special. It’s hard to put into words, but I feel I have an important role to play.
I’ve polled some other girl dads in my universe to share their thoughts about being dads of daughters. I hope you enjoy their remarks.
Luke Hall: One of my big things is to show Ramona how she is supposed to be treated by men, to instill in her the knowledge that she deserves to be respected and treated well by members of the opposite sex.
Maybe that’s an outdated notion, but I feel like if she is treated respectfully by me then she will expect other men to treat her the same.
David Cienfuegos: I’m looking forward to being a positive influence during her life and understanding the meaning of sacrifice as much as all parents do.
Mike Quay: Being a father to a daughter is special beyond just being a parent. As a father, you are the basis for how your daughter will see how a man is supposed to treat a woman.
As a parent, of course, you are supposed to love your children and keep them safe, but it is also the parents’ responsibility to help their children become adults and prepare them for their independence.
Jeremy Williams: My daughter is 10, going on 17. To me, being a #girldad means striving to be an example through my words and actions. Treating everyone fairly and equally, regardless of their gender. And sometimes it means keeping a watchful eye on kids who tease or treat her differently than her younger brother.
It means trying to communicate clearly with her about setting boundaries with people, respecting and loving herself for who she is, and encouraging her to surround herself with people who will respect and love her as well.
We’ve come a long way, but the world still isn’t an even playing field for girls, and I want to arm and inform her so that she can tackle any challenge that the world throws in her path.
Matt Timberlake: I’ve got two young daughters, and if I was told 10 years ago this would be the case, I would have prepared myself to be disappointed with not being able to have the father/son experience in the Dad role.
But since the first was born almost eight years ago, such thoughts have never crossed my mind. Sure, we play with Barbies and do each other’s hair. I’ve even been known to frolic to Katy Perry with clumsily applied makeup on my face. But we also go on wild adventures, build X-Wings out of Legos, and play wiffle ball.
Ken Patterson: You get to have dance parties at the house and listen to music that might normally make you look extra weird, but since it’s your daughter, it’s totally acceptable.
Also, they keep you on the up-and-up when it comes to the new lingo.
Clark Ortkiese: Being a girl dad is great. You get an inside view of the female mind.
I asked mine why she didn’t play with boys. She said, “Well, I haven’t figured out how to control them yet.”
Jeff Hulett is a freelance writer, musician, and PR consultant in Memphis. He lives in the Vollintine Evergreen neighborhood with his wife Annie, two girls Ella and Beatrice, and two dogs Chalupa and Princess Freckles.