Father’s Day on Sunday will be a very special day for Charl Celliers (32) when he celebrates the day as a father for the first time.
His daughter, Kiley is four months old and the light of his life. She has changed his life in so many ways, he says, the most significant being that while doing his first photo shoot of her shortly after she was born, he and his wife Katryn realised that he has a talent for photography and so their photography company Kiley Kreations was born.
It is clear that Kiley is already comfortable in front of the camera and she smiles and burbles softly during a photo shoot with Polokwane Observer. “She loves toys with light as well as anything that sparkles,” Charl says.
Katryn says Charl is a very hands-on dad. “He is a loving and very involved father. He helps me a lot with Kiley.”
Some of the activities father and daughter enjoy together are dancing Kiley to sleep, playing with her toys and telling each other stories. “I want to be there for every ballet concert and beauty pageant and encourage her in everything she wants to do,” he says, adding that he looks forward to doing things like teaching her to ride a bicycle.
“As a father it is important to love my daughter unconditionally and to always give her the best that I can. I want to teach her to be humble, to treat people with respect and to always go all out to fulfill her dreams,” Charl says.
Katryn says while Kiley may be her little princess, she is definitely going to be a Daddy’s girl. Charl smiles at this and laughingly adds that Kiley is already Daddy’s girl.
“I look forward to all the wonderful times that lie ahead. To be a father is an unbelievable privilege!”
Story and photo: KAREN VENTER
>>karen@observer.co.za
