Daughter and Dad

Here´s a little story of a daughter and dad who never had enough time…
Alison was a very determined four year old girl. She was interested in everything, but drawing especially was her expertise. Her mother Ann bought her papers and colors and brushes and pencils and it seemed Alison used them all in a day or two.

This time she had decided she wanted to learn to draw houses. Where ever you looked, you could see papers with drawings of square houses with square windos and little chimnies on the roof - smoke curling up to the sky under a bright yellow sun, in an amazingly blue sky that invariably had one white cloud too. And there was always bright green grass around the house, speckled with red flowers. Alison loved red flowers.

Alison showed her drawings to everyone. She especially wanted to impress her father. There is a time when daughters and dads bond strongly, and Alison sure loved her dad and wanted to bond. She wanted to bond very much - but dad always seemed to be to busy. Ann watched with a heavy heart how daughter and dad very seldom played together and how the father reacted to Alison's attempts to show her drawings to him.

One day Alison used many hours to draw a really detailed house. It was magnificent. She had drawn individual tiles and colored them one by one, carefully leaving white space between the tiles. She had drawn curtains in the windows, and herself, mom and dar looking out of the them. On the lawn was the puppy she so much wanted to have.

- Look, mom! she ran to show her drawing to her mother.

- Oh, Alison, this is so beautiful!! Your best ever!

Alison beamed.

- I´ll show this to dad now!

She ran down the hall to the closed door of her father´s study.

- Dad! Dad! She tried to open the door.

It was locked. Alison´s mom saw the expression of disappointment on her daughter´s face. She reached for the door knob once again.

- Dad?

They could hear him talking on the phone with someone. Then the talking stopped.

- DAD! Alison knocked on the door, - I want you to see the house I made!

- I´m sorry, Alison, I am busy, came the voice behind the door, - Can´t you show it to someone else?

Alison´s hand fell down to her side. She looked down on her magnificent drawing and her lower lip started to tremble.

- I don´t want to show it to anyone else. I want to show it to my dad. You're the only dad I have!

The last words were no more than a whisper and yet they were left hanging in the air like someone had shouted them.

Alison´s mom felt such heaviness in her heart and she took a step towards her daughter, ready for a hug. But before she took another step, she heard a click. The door was unlocked and Alison´s dad appeared. He looked embarrassed.

- I´m sorry Alison. I was stupid, he kissed her daughter´s cheek, - Come here and we´ll look at your drawing!

Daughter and the only dad she had walked into the room to admire the child's beautiful work of art.

Looking for coloring pages for kids? Click here!

What do you think would have happened in this "Daughter and Dad" story, if dad had not opened the door? How long little Alison would have tried?

What if you took your calendar and schedule some time for your family. Book nothing else there. And then be with your family. You don´t need to go anywhere special, you could stay at home. Play a board game, read out loud, watch a favorite movie. And remember - if you haven´t done this for a while, it may take some time for your family to realize you are seriously interested in them. You might have to win back their trust. You have to mean it.

Keep at it. It could turn out to be the most important decision of your life. Instead of material gain, you´ll feel the results in your heart. Loving and being loved is the best thing in the world.

If you want to be loved, you have to give love - and not take anyone for granted. Daughter and dad, son and mother, sister and brother... All worth a little time in your calendar.

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