Why couldn't SHE hug her Dad

Today is father's day and I sit miles away from my Papa...writing this post in my mobile phone. I have been planning to write for this prompt since the day blogadda and vicks announced it but somehow couldn't do it...and now I feel good for not doing it because today feels the right day. I know every other day is my father's day but still writing about him on the day the entire world is celebrating it,  gives me immense happiness.

I saw the video by Vicks, very beautiful and emotionally moving indeed. The video talked about how we stop hugging our dads as we grow up. Very deep and subtle observation. But the visuals show only men. But as an observer what I have noticed around me is that its daughters who hesitate in hugging their daughters as they grow up. I have always seen my brother hugging my dad instantly as he touches his feet and I am lucky enough to never give up my habit of hugging him tight and swing over his shoulders even if I am a big, independent girl. But still, I would like to share my observations that might convey what I am trying to say and give vicks a reason to make another touching videos featuring beautiful daughters with their handsome dads.

I started studying in hostel when I was in eleventh standard. My dad used to visit me during weekends and I would run like crazy from the hostel till the visitors' room, where he would stand spreading his arms and smile for me. He would grab me in his arms and for that very moment, we the 'daddy-daughter duo' would steal the show. Other girls waiting for their dads or already sitting with them in the visitors' room would keep looking at us, with a spark full of questions in their eyes.

I couldn't understand what it was and what their eyes wanted to convey. But, I always assumed that there was admiration for us in those eyes.

But it was not plain admiration but a lot more than that which was unveiled when I with few of a girls from the hostels played 'truth & dare' and when the bottled refused to spin after pointing out its head towards me, I chose truth and they shot me the a question which rested their in their eyes along with that admiration. The question was:

"Don't you feel hesitant while hugging your dad"

I replied: "Not at all, why should I? And in fact why should anyone feel hesitant to hug his or her dad?"

"I feel hesitant...since I am a girl and I have grown up so I feel very awkward in hugging my dad. Every time I see you hugging your dad, I immediately recall my childhood days and I regret growing up." Said Anita-The girl with long hair I remember from my school days.

"I think you should never regret growing up, what you need to regret is drawing an unnecessary line between you and your dad." My reply was spontaneous.

She smiled and said, "that requires a lot of courage but I feel that he is hesitant too."

"I am sure if you try this hesitation will vanish one day...from both the sides"

A long chain of discussions and arguments followed that night. But the crux of the story can be summed up in two paragraphs:

Most of the girls believed that I was one of those luckiest girls to have the freedom to hug her dad.

&

When girls reach their adolescence, they too face different changes in their body like boys do and physically this phase is more stressful for female. They are not ready for such transformation and in order to adopt the changes, they often give up their natural sense of carelessness. This prevents them from being the chirpy and careless little girl having the freedom and courage to hug their dads just like that.

That night is imprinted fresh in my mind after all these years. Those midnight conversations introduced me to a rarely noticed aspect of a girl's life, which I was lucky enough to never experience myself.

I don't know whether Anita ever gathered  the courage to hug her dad but every time I hug my father, I think of her and many more girls who can never cross that imaginary line of age, growth and hesitation, preventing them to enjoy the bliss of hugging their dads and celebrating daughterhood-fatherhood.

“This father’s day, I am expressing my love towards my dad by participating in the #HugYourDad activity at BlogAdda in association with Vicks.” And here is the beautiful video that I was talking about. May be we'll see some beautiful videos for daughters hugging their dads :)