It’s the day the little girl has always dreaded,
parent’s day.
She looks up to tell her mom,
She looks up to tell her dad,
They both whisper to her I’ll be there honey don’t worry.
She knows inside her little heart,
Parent’s day she’ll spend alone.
She walks into the classroom,
A big banner hitting her in the face,
PARENT’S DAY.
She quietly continues to walk,
She sits down,
Hoping 1 o’clock never approaches.
But still it comes.
Parents start arriving,
One after another.
Looking, searching,
Mommy?
Daddy?
The parents line up in the back of the room.
All her friends run to go stand next to their mommy’s and daddy’s.
No parent for the little girl.
Parents start to whisper to each other,
Kids start to giggle.
The little girl swallows down her tears,
And puts a smile on her face,
Standing tall and brave at the end of the line.
The kids start to go down the line telling about their parents,
The little girl waits patiently.
Moms and dads looking at each other,
Wondering where the little girl’s parents are.
Finally her turn,
She takes a step forward so everyone can hear her,
She clears her tiny throat,
She opens her mouth big and confident,
“I know you all are whispering and giggling about me,”
The parents have looks of shame on their face.
“They told me they would be here, and truly they are.
They are with me in my heart,”
The little girl lifts her hand and places it on her heart.
Moms start to tear up,
Not knowing the pain the little girl had to suffer.
“I know they love me” the little girl continues,
“even if they aren’t here to show it.
They look down on me every day,
Giving me great opportunities,
That’s how I know my parents love me.
I told my grandma,
When parent’s day was announced,
Don’t come in,
I said exactly,
Gammy I will be brave I will be strong,
I will show everyone where my parents are.”
The little girl proudly pointed to the sky and whispered,
Heaven.
“I told mommy I’ll be ok,
I told daddy I’ll be strong,”
She then stepped back into line head held high.
Sniffling, and kisses where the only sounds in the room.
She had a grin from ear to ear.
The little girl took a step forward again,
One more thing to say,
She turned to the parents and spoke out loud and clearly,
“One thing everyone should know about my parents,
is that every year on my birthday I would wake up to the smell of beautiful purple roses,
they always were set on my side table,
They loved to give me roses,
That was my favorite thing about them.”
She then turned and said to her teacher,
“I am done now.”
And sat down in her seat,
While everyone stood frozen in line.
She showed those parents who she really is,
And where her parents really are.
She reached inside her desk and pulled out one fresh purple rose,
She smelled it then laid it on her desk for every parent to see.
Everyone in the room had tears streaming down their faces,
But the little girl held strong and sat in her desk smiling.
The parents then said goodbye to their children,
Slowly and quietly the parents then exited the room.
From then on,
On every parents day ,
Through all the years,
The little girl went home and told her gammy don’t come in,
I can do it on my own,
No parents whispered about her ever again,
And no parent ever left with a dry eye,
All the students speechless.
All the teachers in awe.
As the little girl gave her Parent’s Day speech ,
One,
More,
time.