Oh, the Wonder of a Father’s Love — Enoch Odesola

Column, DNEWSINFO 

In a world that often speaks of a mother’s love in poetic volumes, the father’s love stands just as tall, even if cloaked in silence, even if misunderstood. A father’s love is not always loud, not always sung in lullabies or written in stories. It is a quiet force, a steady presence, a gentle but firm touch that molds the very foundation of our lives. It does not always announce itself, yet it is always there, anchoring, guiding, protecting.

There’s a special kind of tenderness in a father’s love—a tenderness wrapped in strength. It might not come in the form of long phone calls or overflowing emotions, but in the early morning rides to school, in the unspoken sacrifices, in the way he works late into the night to make sure the light never goes out in the house. It’s in his steady hand when you learn to ride a bicycle, in the firm voice that corrects you not out of anger but out of deep concern. He might not always say the words “I love you” the way you expect, but in the way he shields you from harm and pushes you to be your best, the love is loud enough.

A father’s love is patient. It is a long wait outside school gates, it is standing in the rain during football practice, it is sitting quietly in the corner during your performance, clapping the loudest when it ends. It is carrying burdens he never talks about just to ensure his child walks a little lighter. It is not in grand gestures or showy surprises, but in the consistent presence, even day after day, year after year—weathering life’s storms not just for himself but for those he holds dear.

Many times, a father’s love is mistaken for distance. But he is the kind of man who believes in showing more than saying. He teaches through actions. He teaches integrity by living it. He teaches humility by walking in it. He teaches honor, not by demanding it, but by deserving it. He is the quiet observer in the background who never stops believing in your potential, even when you can’t see it for yourself.

When you fall, he is the first to reach down, not always with comfort, but with a hand to lift you up and eyes that say, “You can rise.” He might not fix every wound with kisses, but he’ll build you into someone who knows how to stand tall even with scars. He understands that love is not only in easing your way but in equipping you for the path ahead.

His love is in the way he worries in silence, in the way he says “be careful” every time you leave the house, in the late-night checks to make sure the doors are locked and everyone is safe. It’s in the lessons that linger long after they’re taught, even how to treat people, how to be disciplined, how to never take the easy way out.

And as time goes on, you begin to see what you couldn’t understand as a child. You begin to notice the lines on his face, each one a story of the choices he made for you. You begin to realize that his strength was never just in his muscles or his work ethic, but in the way he loved, strongly, selflessly, and silently.

A father’s love teaches us that it’s okay to be human and strong at the same time. That love doesn’t always have to be soft to be sincere. That the fiercest warriors are often those who don’t fight with swords, but with sleepless nights and sacrifices made in silence. That true love is consistency. It is presence. It is staying, even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard.

To feel a father’s love is to carry it with you forever. It becomes a compass you never lose. It becomes a voice in your heart long after his words have stopped. It becomes a part of you, shaping how you walk, how you live, how you love others.

Oh!! What a father’s love it is, quiet but thunderous, invisible but undeniable. A love that may not always be perfect in expression, but is perfect in intention. A love that may not always be understood at first, but is deeply felt with time. A love that holds your hand when you’re small and never lets go, even when you grow old.

And today, as we reflect, remember, and celebrate, let us say with grateful hearts: Oh!! What a father’s love. What a gift. What a blessing.

By Enoch Odesola | June 15, 2025.