September 24, 2003

The Significance of a Simple Declaration

Yesterday my daughter, Jenna, came to me with a letter she had received in her (home-made) mailbox in the schoolroom from her dad. Penmanship was never one of his strong suits, so she was having a hard time reading it. She asked if I would read it to her. Of course I said yes.

It wasn't particularly witty. It wasn't written with much artistic flare. The grammar and spelling were more or less correct. But none of that mattered because this was a love letter from a Daddy to his only little girl.

The letter spoke of how much this Dad loved his daughter; how special she was to him. In it he listed several things specifically that he loved about her... Her wonderful sense of humor; her ability to enjoy life so fully; and the sweetness of her smile.

At the end of the letter, Dad had drawn a picture of a long-time family friend (of the stuffed kind) and another simple declaration of his love for Jenna.

As I finished reading the letter, I pulled Jenna close and told her I had to agree with everything Dad had written. I told her she was the best little girl in the whole wide world and I was so blessed to have her in my life.

Her little face beamed with joy at the words of her dad and the solid agreement of her mom.

The interesting thing is, the rest of the day this ordinarily ornery little girl was an absolute angel. And just before bedtime she invited Dad to read with her. When Dad told her to get a book, that he would be with her in a few minutes, she asked, "Is it okay if I just sit here with you while I wait?" It was enough just to be near him.

Both her dad and I were astounded by the signficant difference this simple declaration of love made in Jenna. I hope it's not a reminder we will soon forget.