To the Daughter Without Her Daddy on Father’s Day

To the girl who wakes up on Father’s Day not with excitement, but with a heavy heart .
I see you. I’m with you.
Father’s Day isn’t filled with gift bags and dad jokes, cookouts or fishing trips.
It’s quiet. And it hurts.
Because he’s not here.
He’s in heaven.
And you’re here , carrying his memory and a heart that still aches.

You miss him more than words can explain.
And while the world celebrates dads here on earth, your heart celebrates one in heaven.

To the daughter who doesn’t get to call or hug her daddy today , I know it feels unfair.
I know this day stings in a way no one else quite understands.
But hear me, babygirl:
He never really left you.
He’s in every breeze that brushes your cheek.
In every sunset that reminds you of his quiet strength.
In every moment you do something brave, just like he taught you to.
He sees you. He’s proud of you.
And he is still with you.

To my daddy ,
In my memories, I’m forever that little girl you pushed on the swing,
the one learning to ride a bike while you ran beside me.
I still hear your laugh when I fall, and your voice telling me to get back up.
I remember racing you down the road , and sometimes you’d let me win.
I remember your strength, your love, your warmth.
And though you’re gone, I still carry you in everything I do.

So if you, too, are a daughter grieving this Father’s Day…
If you’re crying instead of smiling, remembering instead of celebrating
Just know you’re not alone.
We are sisters in this heartache.
But we are also daughters of men who loved us so deeply, their love couldn’t be stopped by something as final as death.

He may be gone from this world.
But he is not gone from you.
He never left.
He never will.

Happy Father’s Day in heaven, Daddy.
You’re still my hero.
Forever and always.

©LeAnn Kelley Ogle