Her hair was up in a ponytail
Her favorite dress tied with
a bow.
Today was Daddy's Day at school,
And she couldn't wait to go.
But her mommy tried to tell
her,
That she probably should stay
home.
Why the kids might not understand,
If she went to school alone.
But she was not afraid;
She knew just what to say.
What to tell her classmates
Of why he wasn't there today.
But still her mother worried,
For her to face this day alone.
And that was why once again,
She tried to keep her daughter
home.
But the little girl went to
school,
Eager to tell them all.
About a dad she never see
A dad who never calls.
There were daddies along the
wall in back,
For everyone to meet.
Children squirming impatiently,
Anxious in their seats.
One by one the teacher called,
A student from the class.
To introduce their daddy,
As seconds slowly passed.
At last the teacher called
her name,
Every child turned to stare.
Each of them was searching,
For a man who wasn't there.
"Where's her daddy at?"
She heard a boy call out.
"She probably doesn't have
one,"
Another student dared to shout.
And from somewhere near the
back,
She heard a daddy say,
"Looks like another deadbeat
dad,
Too busy to waste his day."
The words did not offend her,
As she smiled up at her Mom.
And looked back at her teacher,
Who told her to go on.
And with hands behind her back,
Slowly she began to speak.
And out from the mouth of
a child,
Came words incredibly unique.
"My Daddy couldn't be here,
Because he lives so far away.
But I know he wishes he could
be,
Since this is such a special
day.
And though you cannot meet
him,
I wanted you to know.
All about my daddy,
And how much he loves me so.
He loved to tell me stories
He taught me to ride my bike.
He surprised me with pink
roses,
And taught me to fly a kite.
We used to share fudge sundaes,
And ice cream in a cone.
And though you cannot see
him,
I'm not standing here alone.
"Cause my daddy's always with
me,
Even though we are apart
I know because he told me,
He'll forever be in my heart"
With that, her little hand
reached up,
And lay across her chest.
Feeling her own heartbeat,
Beneath her favorite dress.
And from somewhere in the crowd
of dads,
Her mother stood in tears.
Proudly watching her daughter,
Who was wise beyond her years.
For she stood up for the love
Of a man not in her life.
Doing what was best for her,
Doing what was right.
And when she dropped her hand
back down,
Staring straight into the
crowd.
She finished with a voice
so soft,
But its message clear and
loud.
I love my daddy very much,
He's my shining star.
And if he could, he'd be here,
But heaven's just too far.
You see he was a fireman
And died just this past year
When airplanes hit the towers
And taught Americans to fear.
But sometimes when I close
my eyes,
It's like he never went away."
And then she closed her eyes,
And saw him there that day.
And to her mother's amazement,
She witnessed with surprise.
A room full of daddies and
children,
All starting to close their
eyes.
Who knows what they saw before
them,
Who knows what they felt inside.
Perhaps for merely a second,
They saw him at her side.
I know you're with me Daddy,"
To the silence she called
out.
And what happened next made
believers,
Of those once filled with
doubt.
Not one in that room could
explain it,
For each of their eyes had
been closed.
But there on the desk beside
her,
Was a fragrant long-stemmed
pink rose.
And a child was blessed, if
only for a moment,
By the love of her shining
bright star.
And given the gift of believing,
That heaven is never too far
They say it takes a minute
to find a special
person, an hour to appreciate
them, a day to love
them, but then an entire life
to forget them.
Send this
phrase to the people you'll
never forget and
remember to send it also to
the
person that sent it to you.
It's a short
message to let them know that
you'll never forget them.
If you don't send it
to anyone, it means you're
in a hurry and
that you've forgot your friends.
Take the time... to live and
love.