Alumnae Story
Father-Daughter Dances Lead to Special Bond

By Heather Hughes
Coral Springs, Florida

My fondest memory of Girl Scouts is the Father/Daughter dances. My parents were divorced and I loved with my mother. I was, of course, heartbroken that I couldn't attend these events because I didn't live with my father.

One night my grandfather told me that he would love to take me to the dance and I was thrilled. I remember walking around that whole dance thinking that I was so special because my grandfather had taken me and no one else had done that.

He would spend all night on the floor with me dancing and hopping all over the place, having me stand on his feet as we danced around. And he would spin me. Those dances allowed me to develop a bond with my grandfather that I never would have had without them.

Now that I am older I look back and realize that my grandfather really had become my father over those years I was growing up. Being able to look back on the time I spent at those dances with my grandfather, I am grateful and blessed that we were given an opportunity to develop our bond. He may not have been my father but he will always be my daddy.