Lauren Alaina Shares Touching Tribute on 1st Father's Day Without Her Dad originally appeared on Parade.
American Idol and Dancing with the Stars alum Lauren Alaina shared a heartbreaking social media post on Father's Day.
The country singer recently welcomed her first child with her husband, Cam Arnold. She posted to honor him on Father's Day, but she separately shared a touching caption and video on Instagram on June 15 about her father.
Alaina wrote, "My first Father's Day without you. If I could call you up there in Heaven, I would say thank you for sending me my little girl."
The singer's father died on July 23, 2024. She revealed the loss in an Instagram post the day after his death.
The video Alaina shared was a compilation of moments she shared with her dad over the years. She used her song "Heaven Sent" to accompany it.
In the caption of her post, she added that if she could call him in Heaven, "I would ask you if you've learned to play Heaven Sent on guitar yet. You would immediately FaceTime me and show me that you have."
Alaina continued, "Until I can actually talk to you again, I will remember laughing with you, singing with you, fishing with you and throwing you a pinky. Love you, dad."
Outer Banks and Nashville star Chip Esten commented, "Who you are speaks volumes about who he was. Much love to you, Beautiful Friend."
A supporter wrote, "We loved your Daddy, baby girl, especially Baylee. So glad your 'year of firsts' is almost over. Starting a new 'year of firsts' now."
Someone else added, "Memories last forever such a beautiful song and beautiful pictures!"
"I know he is greatly missed but believe he sees that beautiful girl and loves you both very much, 💗💗" read another comment.
A few hours before the tribute to her dad, Alaina posted a tribute on Instagram to her husband for his first Father's Day.
Alaina wrote, in part, "I have always said one of my things that made you the one for me was that I knew you were going to be the best dad ever."
The couple's daughter, Beni Doll Arnold, was born on June 11. As People noted, Alaina released "Heaven Sent" on the day she announced her daughter's arrival.
She explained that she wrote the song about her daughter amid the early stages of grief over her father's death. In her Instagram post, Alaina noted her baby came "just before Father's Day. My first without my own father."
In that post, Alaina admitted that Father's Day will be "A day that will forever be hard to me. However, she added, "But I now have a new and perfect reason to celebrate it...Beni truly is a gift from God that my old man sitting up there in Heaven Sent."
