This morning I stumbled upon a moving post in the Los Angelas Times about a landslide that happened in Colorado yesterday. What captured my attention was the title itself: Colorado landslide survivor, a 13-year-old girl, says dad shielded her
It wasn’t the landslide that drew me in. It was the link between a young girl and her father and her reference to him as her shield.
I don’t know anything about this family. Nothing at all. Yet one thing is very clear. In the moment of truth, this father threw himself over the body of his daughter to protect her from harm.
I can only imagine the scene. There was probably little to no time at all to THINK in this situation. Only to act. And in this moment, the love a father had for his child caused him to act in such a way that revealed that the life of his daughter was greater then his own.
A true hallmark of genuine love.
I can’t begin to imagine the immense loss this 13 year old girl is facing today. She lost her entire family yesterday. A father, mother, sister, and two cousins. I imagine that she will experience many feelings for a long time as she goes through her own grieving process.
For me, this story conjures up a powerful image and contrast. There is a powerful bond between fathers and children. It seems that no matter how far we come in terms of equality and the battle of the sexes, a father still carries a special image and position when it comes to strength and protection in the hearts and minds of their children…. the shield that keeps children safe from harm.
When fathers forget who they are or have not learned or come to know their own power in the family, they may hurt their children instead of love, protect, and shield them.
I don’t know of any child who would want their fathers to be martyrs. Or to give up their own life to save them. Yet in this profound moment of truth in the relationship between a father and daughter, she will never forget his greatest act of service in leadership. Her father, her dad, the man who gave his life in order to protect her.
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Questions for Reflection:
- Fathers, if you knew how much you mattered to your children, how would that change your current parenting style and how you lead at home?
- Who else has some personal stories about their fathers that were profound examples of love, strength, and protection in your life? Please share.
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Additional Related Resources
The Quest for Truth by Samantha Hall
The Burden of Truth by Samantha Hall
Finding Ourselves in the Depth by Samantha Hall
Honesty: The Plain and Simple Truth by Frank Sonnenberg
