--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Dear Deborah, Words do not come easily…" description: "\"“ Dear Deborah, Words do not come easily for so many men. We are taught to be strong, to provide, to put away our emotions. A father can work his way t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a63/lisa-wingate-2771_children_dear-deborah-words-do-not-come-easily-fo_928946.jpg" --- # Dear Deborah, Words do not come easily for so many men. We… ![“Dear Deborah, Words do not come easily for so many men. We are taught to be strong, to provide, to put away our emotions. A father can work his way through his days and never see that his years are going by. If I could go back in time, I would say some things to that young father as he holds…” quote by Lisa Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a63/lisa-wingate-2771_children_dear-deborah-words-do-not-come-easily-fo_928946.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a63/lisa-wingate-2771_children_dear-deborah-words-do-not-come-easily-fo_928946.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a63/lisa-wingate-2771_children_dear-deborah-words-do-not-come-easily-fo_928946.jpg) > ““ Dear Deborah, Words do not come easily for so many men. We are taught to be strong, to provide, to put away our emotions. A father can work his way through his days and never see that his years are going by. If I could go back in time, I would say some things to that young father as he holds, somewhat uncertainly, his daughter for the very first time. These are the things I would say: When you hear the first whimper in the night, go to the nursery leaving your wife sleeping. Rock in a chair, walk the floor, sing a lullaby so that she will know a man can be gentle. When Mother is away for the evening, come home from work, do the babysitting. Learn to cook a hotdog or a pot of spaghetti, so that your daughter will know a man can serve another's needs. When she performs in school plays or dances in recitals, arrive early, sit in the front seat, devote your full attention. Clap the loudest, so that she will know a man can have eyes only for her. When she asks for a tree house, don't just build it, but build it with her. Sit high among the branches and talk about clouds, and caterpillars, and leaves. Ask her about her dreams and wait for her answers, so that she will know a man can listen. When you pass by her door as she dresses for a date, tell her she is beautiful. Take her on a date yourself. Open doors, buy flowers, look her in the eye, so that she will know a man can respect her. When she moves away from home, send a card, write a note, call on the phone. If something reminds you of her, take a minute to tell her, so that she will know a man can think of her even when she is away. Tell her you love her, so that she will know a man can say the words. If you hurt her, apologize, so that she will know a man can admit that he's wrong. These seem like such small things, such a fraction of time in the course of two lives. But a thread does not require much space. It can be too fine for the eye to see, yet, it is the very thing that binds, that takes pieces and laces them into a whole. Without it, there are tatters. It is never too late for a man to learn to stitch, to begin mending. These are the things I would tell that young father, if I could. A daughter grown up quickly. There isn't time to waste. I love you, Dad ”” [Lisa Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-wingate/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advice to fathers on nurturing, presence, and emotional support for their daughters. **In simple terms:** Encourages fathers to be gentle, attentive, and supportive. Key Takeaway Fatherhood requires active, caring involvement. Themes parenting emotional intelligence gender roles Mood reflective encouraging Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - family life - child development - relationships Key Concepts vulnerability role modeling Questions to Reflect On - How can fathers balance work and emotional presence? - What small actions can strengthen father‑daughter bonds? A Different Perspective Time constraints and societal expectations may hinder consistent involvement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Dad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dad/) [Daughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daughter/) [Dear Deborah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dear-deborah-1497212/) [Deborah Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deborah-words-1497211/) [Emotions Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotions-father-1497213/) [Father daughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father-daughter/) [First time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-time/) [Home From Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home-from-work/) [Letter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/letter/) [Open doors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open-doors/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Small things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-things/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Too late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-late/) [Words Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-come/) ## Related quotes > [And so as much as I can, I care about her, dear Deborah. It's probably not love, but I would rather she were happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/and-so-as-much-as-i-can-i-care-about-her-dear-deborah-it-s-probably/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [Because I have nothing else to live for. You told me of your brother’s betrayal. Imagine your own father calling out his hounds to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/because-i-have-nothing-else-to-live-for-you-told-me-of-your-brother-s/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [In the music business, to survive for so long, you have to be able to cut off from your emotions sometimes. And being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/in-the-music-business-to-survive-for-so-long-you-have-to-be-able-to/) [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) > [“One of the best things a father can do for his daughter is let her know that she has met his expectations. My father…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/one-of-the-best-things-a-father-can-do-for-his-daughter-is-let-her-3/) [Lisa Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-wingate/) > [“One of the best things a father can do for his daughter is let her know that she has met his expectations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/one-of-the-best-things-a-father-can-do-for-his-daughter-is-let-her-2/) [Lisa Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-wingate/) > [“One of the best things a father can do for his daughter is let her know that she has met his expectations. My father…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/one-of-the-best-things-a-father-can-do-for-his-daughter-is-let-her/) [Lisa Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-wingate/) > [D&V what I rep, all GP. I make it rain Shawn Kemp, GP. I make words come alive, GP. Create life with the beats,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wale/d-v-what-i-rep-all-gp-i-make-it-rain-shawn-kemp-gp-i-make-words-come/) [Wale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wale/) > [All my words come back to me in shades of mediocrity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-and-garfunkel/all-my-words-come-back-to-me-in-shades-of-mediocrity/) [Simon And Garfunkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-and-garfunkel/) > [Saying the words that come from knowledge is no sign of having it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/saying-the-words-that-come-from-knowledge-is-no-sign-of-having-it/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [“Saying something aloud, anything coming from my heart was more than acknowledging it; it was owning it. 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If I could go back in time, I would say some things to that young father as he holds, somewhat uncertainly, his daughter for the very first time. These are the things I would say: When you hear the first whimper in the night, go to the nursery leaving your wife sleeping. Rock in a chair, walk the floor, sing a lullaby so that she will know a man can be gentle. When Mother is away for the evening, come home from work, do the babysitting. Learn to cook a hotdog or a pot of spaghetti, so that your daughter will know a man can serve another's needs. When she performs in school plays or dances in recitals, arrive early, sit in the front seat, devote your full attention. Clap the loudest, so that she will know a man can have eyes only for her. When she asks for a tree house, don't just build it, but build it with her. Sit high among the branches and talk about clouds, and caterpillars, and leaves. Ask her about her dreams and wait for her answers, so that she will know a man can listen. When you pass by her door as she dresses for a date, tell her she is beautiful. Take her on a date yourself. Open doors, buy flowers, look her in the eye, so that she will know a man can respect her. When she moves away from home, send a card, write a note, call on the phone. If something reminds you of her, take a minute to tell her, so that she will know a man can think of her even when she is away. Tell her you love her, so that she will know a man can say the words. If you hurt her, apologize, so that she will know a man can admit that he's wrong. These seem like such small things, such a fraction of time in the course of two lives. But a thread does not require much space. It can be too fine for the eye to see, yet, it is the very thing that binds, that takes pieces and laces them into a whole. Without it, there are tatters. It is never too late for a man to learn to stitch, to begin mending. These are the things I would tell that young father, if I could. A daughter grown up quickly. There isn't time to waste. I love you, Dad ”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lisa Wingate" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/dear-deborah-words-do-not-come-easily-for-so-many-men-we-are-taught/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Children" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/dear-deborah-words-do-not-come-easily-for-so-many-men-we-are-taught/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a63/lisa-wingate-2771_children_dear-deborah-words-do-not-come-easily-fo_928946.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a63/lisa-wingate-2771_children_dear-deborah-words-do-not-come-easily-fo_928946.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a63/lisa-wingate-2771_children_dear-deborah-words-do-not-come-easily-fo_928946.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Dear Deborah, Words do not come easily for so many men. 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