Parenthood is quite a responsibility and people are often not ready to play such an important role. However, delicately precious moments like the birth of one’s child can change their perspective. In a fleeting moment, the pressurizing thought of being a parent turns into a blessing! Late Steven Irwin, the Australian zookeeper and father to TV personality Bindi Irwin and Robert Irwin, had similar thoughts on being a father. In an interview in 2003, he reflected on how he thought it was an impossible task till his oldest, Bindi Irwin came along, per Australian Story.
Sharing glimpses of the time his wife, Terri Irwin, was pregnant with Bindi, Steve mentioned how he wasn’t keen on the idea of fatherhood. “I never wanted to be a father, I couldn’t give a rip. Now I’m the proudest father, I gotta tell ya.” Everything changed for Steve the moment his daughter came into the world. From not wanting to be a father, his heart skipped a beat when he saw the little miracle he helped create. “I can’t dwell on her for too long or I’ll start bawling my eyes out,” he said. Even in his interview, the mere thought of his little girl brought tears to his eyes.
Steve poignantly recalled carrying a picture of his daughter with him every time he went out into the field. “I would sit there and just start crying,” he remarked. “Who would have thought that someone as ugly as me could bring into the world such a beautiful treasure,” the dad said. To Steve, being a dad to Bindi was nothing short of a miracle. Steve pointed out that people constantly asked him for tips on how to get parenthood right, but he followed only one simple tactic. “All I do is treat her the way I would want to be treated,” he exclaimed. Sharing an adorable example, he said, “She wants to have chocolate? Mum’s not looking, here, have the whole block.”
Steve continued the conversation by sharing how he tried to keep her childhood normal by letting her spend as much time as possible with other kids. He always wanted to be a part of her life and vice-versa. The heartwarming relationship between the father-daughter duo is built on a simple but firm foundation of love. There are no great parenting techniques, no big books, just pure love and parenting led straight from the heart. Steve passed away in 2006 but Bindi has kept his legacy strong through the zoo and herself. Just as he was a proud father, she stands today as a proud daughter.
Bindi reposted the interview from 2003 sometime back on her social media with her heartfelt reaction. “Every time I watch this clip my heart overflows with emotion. The people we love are always with us. Love lives on no matter what. I think that is the most beautiful thing about our existence. Thank you, Dad, this moment captured on camera made my whole life,” she wrote.
