Dads and Daughters Reflect on 15 Years of Dances

On Thursday night, sponsored its annual Daddy/Daughter dance and for the last time, 17-year-olds Brooke Stratford and Courtney Lee attended the dance with the most important men in their lives -- their dads.

“We promised them, our very first time,” Courtney Lee said. “We promised them we would go until our senior year in high school.”

It was a promise and a tradition that began 15 years ago, but the two young friends, now seniors at , grew up together and kept their word, never missing a dance since 1997 -- much to the delight of their proud fathers, David Lee and Ken Stratford.

“It’s a pretty big deal, we get a little choked up sometimes when we think about it,” David Lee said. “But its just one of those things, you just gotta spend as much time with them as you can before they get too old. Because who knows when the next time I will have another dance with her? It might be her wedding.”

This year, as the men escorted their daughters for the last time, it was a bittersweet moment for them as they stood back and watched their almost-grown daughters laugh and giggle with the group of young girls who flocked around them, teaching them dance steps and showing them that even the big girls still like to spend time with their dads.

“You see all the little girls looking at them in awe,” David Lee said. “They’re carrying a big role in shaping the little girls' expectations and hopefully the dads too, a little bit, because it is special. 

The girls admitted, though, that there were some years where their childhood promise was tough to keep.

“There was definitely a couple years there where it was awkward,” Courtney Lee said. “Going through middle school, you’re like, okay another daddy daughter dance, I’m a little embarrassed. But once it’s all said and done, I don’t regret a thing.”

Lee and Stratford say they never pushed the girls to keep coming and that it was always their choice. Still, they say they are grateful for each moment they were given with their daughters and encourage all the younger dads to start the same tradition as early as possible.

“The dads I talked to, the younger ones, I said, don’t miss out,” Ken Stratford said. “Do it as soon as you can, even if it’s only for 10-15 minutes as a baby, it’s just something to get started and its something you will never forget.”

It was also a way, according to Lee and Stratford, to show their daughters how they should expect to be treated by any future man in their lives. 

“Girls should be treated with respect and hold the doors -- that kind of chivalry is lost,” David Lee said. “Its nice that they get a taste of what it's supposed to be like and if we make it hard on their boyfriends, good. That’s what we’re trying to do.” 

That point has been well-received according to the girls, who say that after years of Daddy/Daughter dances, they learned to appreciate the simple acts of a well-mannered gentleman.

“It’s so true,” said Brooke. “You don’t really think about it when you're just in high school and you're dating guys, but I deserve to be treated like a gentlemen should treat you.”

The girls also say they learned to appreciate the men in their lives who taught them, who loved them and who took the time each year to show them how special they are. 

“I learned to appreciate my dad,” Courtney said. “Hanging out with your dad, it just seems tedious almost, but you learn to cherish those moments and they’re really special. Especially later, we’re going to get married one day and move out.”

The future of college and fiancés and weddings is quickly approaching for these two families, who understand how fast the time goes, but they all say that keeping up the tradition of a day set aside for just them is something they plan on continuing as long as they can.

"Definitely we’re going to do something," Brooke said. "Even if it's just a nice dinner out."

But as the evening drew to a close, Lee and Stratford looked around at all the little girls dancing and laughing with their dads, and were reminded of the years past.

“You instantly flash back to when they were that small and jumping around, acting crazy,” Lee said. “And to still have them want to come with you and have their special day with you, it’s phenomenal. It’s a great feeling.”