Safe in my father's arms

Photo credit: Edward Howell on Unsplash.

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Q. Tell us a bit about yourself

A: My name is Yousif and I’m 53 years old. Originally from Iraq now living in Australia. I'm married and have two children.

Currently, I am working at Broadspectrum as Assistant Accountant. My hobbies include swimming, walking, reading (especially the Holy Bible) and listening to spiritual channels. My favourite colour is blue. And I believe that it is never too late to achieve your dream(s).

Q. You have been a dad for 25 years now, how would you describe your fatherhood experience?

A: Before everything, thank you doing for this interview. To be honest with you, the past 25 years are what have shaped my personality with its challenges in times of joy and times of sadness. It was a combination of realizing the meaning of responsibility and the meaning of sacrifice, and above anything, understanding the fatherhood of God.

When one crosses the sea of life, you need support and encouragement, and above all, you need to feel a sense of security. And for me, that is something I experienced from Divine providence. That is something I hope I was able to achieve, even if a small part of it, in my family’s life.

The bottom line of parenthood is sacrifice, counselling, support, instilling the right values, following up, trying to please others, and provide care and protection. And of course, look after family members so they can make their way in this life.

Q. What has been the most challenging thing and the most rewarding thing of being a dad?

A: For the first part of the question, the challenge is to instill right values and concepts, provide an environment for principles and values that will build the children’s personality, and give my wife the needed attention and care. All these factors require great maturity and awareness and you grow from this experience as time passes. Also, by trusting God and His guidance and care. He is the one who gives us understanding, awareness and wisdom to choose what’s the best for us.

As for the second part of the question, I say the greatest reward for me is to see my family - my wife and children - live out the right values, be generous and virtues, and be fruitful in society. Also, to live according to the right principles far away from the world’s temptations, falsehood and deceptive appearances. And above all, for them to trust that He who gave us life and an opportunity to enjoy it is the Almighty God. So it is to live by His values in order to live the right way and not by the deceptive values the world offers us.

Q: How would you describe our father-daughter relationship?

A: This is a precious and an important question . . . and everyone would have a different opinion in answering it. But for me, this relationship is special and I’m not saying that to distinguish between the boy and girl. But a healthy relationship between a father and his daughter is a key to developing positive self-esteem for the girl. After all, for all young girls, a father is the first male figure in her life.

Loving fathers who provide praise, support, and unconditional love give their daughter the gift of confidence and high self-esteem. Girls with such qualities grow up happy and successful.

I also think that girls have warm and sensitive feelings and need to be treated in a special and different way. For a girl feels and recognizes the importance of the father being the place of safety and the person from who she gets support and appreciation. A positive father-daughter relationship can have a huge impact on a young girl’s life and even determine whether or not she will evolve into a strong and confident woman.

A father's influence in his daughter's life leads to self-respect, self-esteem, as well as forming confidence and opinions in men.

Q: What is a word of encouragement you’d like to give for other dads out there?

A: A word of encouragement for all fathers out there would be that your daughter is the most precious gift from God. You are entrusted with her to protect, nurture and care for her. And that you are responsible for planting in her the right moral values and principles so that you see your fingerprint in the life of the most beautiful and gentle person in existence.

I would like to conclude this interview with this quote,

“Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

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Dad and me :)

Jan 2020.