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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 sees,
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 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 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 be forever 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.
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.
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