The ideal parent-child connection is one of love, respect, and mutual understanding. Unfortunately, there are times when children are ashamed of their parents as they grow up because they do not own a nice automobile, are out of reach, or do not work in what the children consider a “respectable” position.
These often leads to complex emotions and strained connections.
Sabrina, 18, was on the phone with a friend when she heard the front door open. Her father, Pete, worked as a coal miner. The young woman quickly ended the call because she didn’t want her father to hear her discussing her approaching graduation. She did not want him to go because she was concerned her friends would humiliate her because of his “dirty” appearance.
Pete entered the home with a smile on his face, carrying two packages in his hands. He told Sabrina he had a present for her and left the packages on the table.
Pete has been there for his daughter since her mother’s death. He understood her and always honored her privacy.
Sabrina was grateful for the gifts, but she always thought her father was unworthy of her attention just because his hands and face were blackened from coal. She didn’t even let him touch her belongings.
She opened one of the packages, eager to see what was inside, and found a beautiful garment. When she opened the other, she discovered an outfit. She asked her father why there was a suit there.
“This is for me, honey! I need to look fantastic.It’s your graduation, after all!” Pete replied cheerfully.
When Sabrina heard these remarks, she bit her lips in frustration. She threw the present and said, “Dad, I do not want you to come. All of my buddies and their parents will be in attendance. “I don’t want them to laugh at me after seeing you, okay?”
Pete was left in full amazement. He had no idea his daughter held such a negative opinion of him.
“What did you say?” he inquired, puzzled.
“Dad, my friends’ fathers come from reputable families. They are all wealthy and resemble celebrities. I don’t want you to look like a mess among them, Dad. I hope you understand. No matter how beautifully you dress, everyone can tell you’re a coal miner by glancing at your grimy face and hands. I don’t want them laughing at me. Please don’t attend my graduation.
These words felt like a sharp knife.
Sabrina then thanked him for the dress and entered her room, slamming the door behind her.
Pete was devastated, but he wasn’t mad. He knew his daughter was too young to understand the weight of the words she uttered so he still decided to attend her graduation ceremony believing she would change her mind.
On the big day, Pete asked his daughter if he could drop her off at the site, but she declined. Pete said that was OK and wished her a great night.
Before leaving the house, Sabrina turned to him and said, “And Dad, don’t come, okay? I trust you won’t. “Bye, see you later!”
But after she left, Pete dressed. There was no denying that he was missing a key milestone.
Shortly after, Pete entered the venue and settled in the section designated for parents. He enthusiastically applauded as students accepted their awards, eagerly waiting for Sabrina to receive hers.
“Next, we call Miss Sabrina Parker!” the host announced.
Pete ran to the front and started filming his girl. He was overjoyed, but Sabrina was shocked when he spotted him.
“Congrats, darling!” Pete shouted. “I’m so proud of you!”
But Sabrina’s response was far from enthusiastic. Instead of smiling, she let out a groan and joined her friends. She couldn’t wait for the ceremony to end so she could confront her dad.
Suddenly, she heard the host say, “Mr. Parker, can we please have you on the stage.”
This added to her nervousness.
“Thanks, Mr. Lauren! Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!” Pete said when he took the mic. “Can we have the slideshow, please?!”
The audience and Sabrina were taken aback as the hall dimmed and the projector sprang to life. Pete had crafted a touching video, showcasing cherished moments of him and Sabrina from her childhood up to the eve of her graduation. Prior to the ceremony, he had arranged a meeting with the principal and staff, detailing his plan to surprise his daughter. Consequently, he was granted special permission to execute the surprise immediately after Sabrina received her diploma.
“I love my daughter. Sabrina, I’m so proud of you. I hope your mother would be just as proud if she were here now. Emma, if you’re here, you can see for yourself! You said I couldn’t raise my daughter on my alone, but there is no other father on the planet who is as proud as I am right now. Congratulations, Sabrina..”We did it!”
The film, as well as her father’s words, moved Sabrina deeply. She began crying tears of delight as she joined her father on stage and hugged him. “Thank you very much, Dad! “I apologize,” she said.
The night was done, and Pete felt it was time to tell his daughter the truth. He waited for her to turn 18 and be mature enough to deal with the reality.
He gathered his strength and turned to Sabrina, telling her that her mother had not died. She was still alive and living in the same town.
Sabrina nearly collapsed. She couldn’t understand why her father would lie to her about something like that for so long.
With tears in his eyes, Pete explained that her mother never wanted her. When she fell pregnant she wanted to leave Sabrina behind and put her up for adoption. When Pete told her not to do it, she confessed that Pete wasn’t even the baby’s real father but offered him to take her and raise her if he wanted to as long as he stick to the story that her mom was dead.
Pete couldn’t let Sabrina end up in foster care or be adopted by complete strangers, so he decided to accept her as his own before divorcing her mother.
“I could not see you as someone else’s child. You were my world, and you are my everything today,” Pete cried.
“You’re not my real father??” Sabrina asked again, wanting to be sure in Pete’s words.
“Darling, I may not be your birth father, but I don’t love you any less. Forget what I just told you. You are always MY DAUGHTER regardless of anything and everything.”
“I’m sorry, dad. I feel ashamed of myself for hurting you. I called you ‘dirty’ and ‘smelly’ without knowing about your sacrifices for me. What would have happened to me if you didn’t step up for me and raised me? Please forgive me.”
That was the first and only time Pete and Sabrina talked about her mother. They decided to leave the past where it belonged. But from that moment on, Sabrina was never again ashamed of her dad. On the contrary, she couldn’t be prouder Pete was the man who raised her. She was happy to call him dad.