Her hair was up in a pony tail,
her favorite dress tied with a bow.
Today was
Daddy's Day at school,
and she couldnt 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 wasnt 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
sees,
a dad who never calls.
There was 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 wasnt there.
'Where's her daddy at?"
she heard a boy call out.
'She probably doesnt 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 hand behined her back,
slowly she began to speak.
And out from the mouth
of a child,
came words incredibly unique.
'My daddy couldnt 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,
Im 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 of
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 it's 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 year
When airplans 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 to far.
