Introduction

• Overview: Introduce the story about playing hide and seek with your daughter and the deeper meaning it holds for you.
• Purpose: Share the personal reflections and experiences of fatherhood, shaped by your own childhood.

Playing Hide and Seek

• Daughter’s Favorite Game: Describe how your 7-year-old daughter loves playing hide and seek.
• Her Rules: Explain how she always tells you where to hide, changing the traditional rules of the game.

Personal Reflections on Fatherhood

• Memories of Your Father: Reflect on your own experiences growing up without a present father figure.
• Emotional Impact: Share how wondering about your father’s presence affected you emotionally.

Breaking the Cycle

• Determination to Be Present: Emphasize your commitment to being present for your daughter, contrasting with your own childhood.
• Creating New Memories: Highlight the importance of creating positive memories and being there for your daughter’s milestones.

The Weight of Silence and Absence

• Silence in the Home: Discuss how silence and absence felt like a burden growing up.
• PTSD and Your Father: Explain how your father’s PTSD impacted his ability to be present.

The Game as a Metaphor

• Hide and Seek as Symbolism: Use the game of hide and seek as a metaphor for the emotional distance and efforts to connect.
• Choosing to Be Found: Reflect on the significance of your daughter always finding you easily, symbolizing your commitment to being there for her.

The Importance of Presence

• Reassurance Through Play: Discuss how participating in the game and following your daughter’s lead reassures her of your presence.
• Breaking the Cycle of Absence: Emphasize the importance of breaking the generational cycle of absence and being a present father.

Conclusion

• Summary: Recap the key points about the importance of being present and the emotional journey of fatherhood.
• Encouragement: Encourage others to be actively present in their children’s lives, highlighting the impact it has on both the parent and child.
• Final Thought: End with a heartfelt note about the joy and fulfillment that comes from being an engaged and loving parent.

This structure provides a comprehensive breakdown of the narrative, focusing on the significance of playing hide and seek with your daughter and the deeper emotional reflections on fatherhood and presence.