DADDY"S DAY

DADDY'S DAY

Her hair up in a pony tail

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

on this special Daddy's Day

But still her mommy 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 on to school

eager to tell them all

About a dad she never sees

a dad who never calls.

There were daddies along the wall in back

for everyone to meet

The children waited impatiently

squirming in their seats.

One by one the teacher called

a student from the class

to introduce their daddy

as the minutes slowly passed.

At last the teacher called her name

every child turned to stare

Each of them were 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 at her friends

And looked back at her teacher

who told her to begin

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 with me on this 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 far apart

I know because he told me

he'll forever be here 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 some where 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 much too far"

"But sometimes when I close my eyes

it's like he never went away."

And then she closed her eyes

and she 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 everyone's eyes had been closed

but there placed on her desk

was a beautiful pink rose

And a child was blessed, if but for a moment

by the love of her shining bright star

and given the gift of believing

that Heaven is never too far.

by Cheryl Costello-Forshey
Page by Mary Jones
2003

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