A FATHER'S LOVE

It Just Happened On Her Birthday

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As news-reels roll away from the billows of smoke rising from the tragic mall, darkening hopes of friends and families still missing loved ones despite renting the cold Monday evening scene; and hope, faith or breaking-news leave them without motion or change as more fatalities begin to emerge when a man succumbed to his injuries.

But before being admitted to the hospital, he had asked the nurse to call his daughter. He explained, "You see, I live alone and she is the only family I have."

The nurse went to phone the daughter, who happened to be celebrating her birthday and she excused herself from her friends, as she had also earlier tried calling emergency lines to inquire about her daddy. The nurse quickly relayed daddy's message. The daughter was quite upset and shouted, "You must not let him die! You see, Dad and I had a terrible argument almost a year ago. I haven't seen him since. All these months I've wanted to go to him for forgiveness. The last thing I said to him was 'I hate you.'"

The daughter cried and then said, "I'm coming now. I'll be there in thirty minutes."
At the hospital, the patient went into cardiac arrest, and emergency response was alerted. The nurse prayed, "O God, his daughter is coming. Don't let it end this way." The efforts of the medical team to revive the patient were fruitless. The nurse observed one of the doctors talking to the daughter outside the ward. She could see the pathetic hurt in the girl's face. The nurse approached wiping her disappointment then took the daughter aside and said, "I am sorry." Tears started flowing as both embraced..., one trying to comfort, the other trying to understand. The daughter responded, "I never hated him, you know. I loved him, and now I want to go see him." The nurse took her to the emergency room, and the daughter went to the bed and buried her face in the blood-soaked sheets as she said good-bye to her deceased father. The nurse was distraught; as she tried not to look at this sad good-bye, noticed a scrap peace of paper on the bed table. It was a shopping receipt - with a note on the other side.

She new it belonged to her dad as there was still fresh blood stains and red fingerprints on it. She picked it up and read:

"My dearest daughter, I forgive you, I pray you will also forgive me. Happy Birthday to you Nanna... Take care of yourself Nanna... I know that you love me, I love you too ~ Daddy."