Pictures can speak louder than words, but both have tremendous power.
That was definitely the feeling I had when I first saw the Instagram photo and later the Facebook post from my daughter Sophie on my birthday – a snapshot of the collection of notes and cards I have given to her over the past two years. These are cards I take a few minutes to write, just a few sentences, telling her proud I am of her and the place she holds in my heart. I do the same for my other daughter Emily and for my wife Debbie.
The cards and notes are random, no real reason, most times there is no special event attached to them. And I really didn’t know what Sophie did with the cards, I thought she kept a few, I never knew she kept them all, until I saw the picture. Apparently little things mean a lot. And it touched my heart deeply to see her message and her display of affection. A few minutes of effort turned into a memory to last a lifetime.
Emily saves her cards, because I see some of them posted up on her board. And she put her own spin on my birthday gift. She wrote me the most beautiful card, created a collage of pictures of her and I and then attached a page of quotes about kids and their dads. The kid knows I love quotes, love reading, writing and speaking about personal growth and self-improvement, even though half the time I don’t think she is paying attention and the other half it just irritates her. Apparently she gets it more than I thought. The pictures are below, but here is just a sample of those quotes.
“My dad gave me the greatest gift anyone could give a person, he believed in me.”
“A daughter outgrows a dad’s lap, but will never outgrow his heart.”
“Some day I’ll find my prince charming, but my daddy will always be my king.”
The girls did it again. Touching my heart in ways that are difficult, nearly impossible to put into words.
Although I stray far from controversy on this blog, as I read these words again, and look at the pictures from my daughters, I can’t fathom how any man can do what Ray Rice did to somebody’s little girl.
I can’t understand and I never will.
Until next time, thanks for taking the time.
Mark
Mark Brodinsky, Author, Huffington Post Blogger, Financial Services
The #1 Amazon Best-Seller: It Takes 2. Surviving Breast Cancer: A Spouse’s Story, (http://www.spouses-story.com/)
Connect: markbrodinsky@gmail.com
That so touched my heart! I still feel that way about my dad and I’m 51! You are obviously a fantastic dad!