Beth was bouncing on the balls of her feet as her mommy pulled her long brown hair back into a curly high ponytail. Her mommy grinned at her antics as she then attempted to tie the bow on Beth's favorite yellow and white dress and said "Beth Puckerman you need to stop that or I won't be able to get the perfect bow."
Beth wiggled one more time before finally settling down so her mommy could tie the bow.
Beth's mommy had tried to tell her, that she probably should stay home. But today was Daddy's Day at school, and she couldn't wait to go.
Mommy had tried to explain that the kids might not understand if she went to school alone.
But Beth wasn't afraid; she knew just what to say. What she was going to tell her classmates today on Daddy's Day.
But still her mommy worried, for her to face this day alone. And that was why once again, she tried to keep her baby girl home. Her mommy brushed some of the curly strands that had already escaped from her ponytail as she prepared to walk Beth out to the bus. "Beth are you positive you wanna go? It's perfectly alright if you don't want to."
Beth grinned at her mommy once more and threw her arms around her, whispering "I'm sure Mommy, Daddy would have wanted me to go."
This brought tears into her Mommy's brown eyes, and she squeezed her daughter close once more before pressing her lips to Beth's forehead and walking her out to the bus stop.
Beth walked into school, excited to tell everyone all about her daddy. About a dad she never sees, a dad who never calls.
As the tiny brunette went into her class room she observed all the daddies along the wall in back for everyone to meet. The other children were squirming impatiently, anxious in their seats.
One by one the teacher called on every student. So they could introduce their daddy to the rest of the class.
Time slowly passed and at last the teacher called her name, every child turned to stare.
Each of them was searching for a man who wasn't there. "Where's her daddy at?" Beth heard a boy call out.
"She probably doesn't have one," another student dared to shout.
And from somewhere near the back, she heard a daddy quietly say "Looks like another deadbeat dad, too busy to waste his day."
The words did not offend her as she walked to the front and looked back at her teacher, who told her to begin.
Then with hands behind her back, Beth slowly began to speak. And out from the mouth of a child, came words incredibly unique.
"My Daddy couldn't be here, because he lives so far away. But I know he wishes he could be with me today."
"And though you cannot meet him, I wanted you all to know all about my Daddy and how much he loves me so."
"He loved to tell me stories; he surprised me with pink roses and taught me to fly a kite." Beth giggled a bit at the memory of him acting out the three little pigs and standing with her on the beach, holding her in his strong arms as they flew their green and yellow kite."
Beth smiled even bigger when she remembered the times he'd brought home yellow roses for her mommy and then surprised her with a single pink rose of her own.
She softly continued "We used to share fudge sundaes and vanilla ice cream in a cone and even though you cannot see him, I'm not standing here alone."
"Cause my Daddy's always with me, even though we are far apart. I know because he told me, he'll forever be here in my heart."
With that her little hand reached up, and lay across her chest, feeling her own heartbeat, beneath her favorite dress.
And from somewhere in the crowd of dads, her mommy stood in tears, proudly watching her daughter, who was wise beyond her years. As her little Beth stood up for the love of a man not able to be in her life. Doing what was best for her and doing what was right.
Then when Beth dropped her hand back down she stared straight into the crowd and finished her speech with a voice so soft, but its message clear and loud.
"I love my Daddy very much, he's my shining star and I know he'd be here if he could, but heavens much too far away."
"And sometimes when I close my eyes, it's like he never went away."
She then closed her eyes, so much like her daddy's, and she saw him there that day.
To mommy's amazement, she witnessed with a room full of Daddies and Children, all starting to close their eyes.
Who knows what they saw before them, who knows what they felt inside.
Perhaps for merely a second, they saw him standing at her side. And in the silence Beth spoke out, "I know you're always here with me Daddy."
But what happened next made those once filled with doubt believe, because no one in that room could explain it, for each of their eyes had been closed.
But there placed on Beth's desk, was a beautiful pink rose. And Beth was blessed, if only for a moment, by the love of her shining bright star.
And given the gift of believing that, Heaven is never too far.