WITH Christmas cleaning going on, which includes much needed house repairs, I decided to go through some of the many books I had and right down the pile was Robert Schuller’s book, “Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do!” I knew there was something in the book that had touched me, and I opened it wondering what it was; my eyes went to the inner cover where my elder one had scribbled a note, “To Daddy!” she had written, “The toughest person I’ll ever know!” I had tears in my eyes as I saw those words. “My little one,” I whisper, “I’m not half as tough as you think I am,” and I hear her saying, “Of course you are daddy, of course you are! You remember the time I was sick, really sick, mummy was crying, everybody was weeping but you sat by me on the bed, not a tear in your eye, I was scared dad, but you looked me in the face and said I’d be okay? Do you remember?”
“Oh yes I do my child. I do remember you lying hot with fever, I do remember you looking at me with frightened eyes and that same fright fading from your eyes as I smiled at you, but child of mine, just before I sat by you, I had shut myself in my room and wept large tears; I had cried aloud with fear! I was no tough father; I was the weakest man on earth. I cried out to a God above!” “Save my child!” I shouted. “I am a weak man Oh God! I need your help. Give me strength to go to her room and sit by her side without breaking down! Give me the strength to give her strength Oh God!” “And you came back and smiled at me!”
“Someone tougher than me made me tough inside!” “And dad?” “Yes, my child?” “That time when you were broke, and you fought back? What a fight dad, I watched and knew you’d win!”
“You knew? I didn’t, my child!” “But you won!” “Not with my strength, oh no!” “The same Tough One who wiped your tears when I was sick?” “Wiped my tears when I was down, strengthened my resolve, ignited my determination and stood by me!” I open the book and look at her child-like handwriting, “Child of mine,” I whisper, “I’m glad I introduced you to that Tough One up there, and now also know there’s not a day you’ll need to be afraid..!”
