At some point, every child comes to the realization that her father isn’t Superman after all. As it turns out, Dad is not all-powerful; he has weaknesses, fears, demons. Dad is a father among fathers, not the father.
In one sense the young child’s belief in paternal omnipotence is a delusion, and overcoming this delusion is surely a sign of maturity. But we should not be too hasty to dismiss the child’s perspective. In many ways, her image of fatherhood is much truer than ours.
The End of All Things 