Sorry Dad

I glanced upon this touching story in one of the recent editions of Elan Tit-Bits that my doctor father gets almost every month. Read on...


My dad had only one eye. I hated him. He was such an embarrassment. He cooked for students and teachers to support the family. There was this one day during elementary school when my dad came to say hello to me.


I was so embarrassed.


How could he do this to me?


I ignored him, threw him a hateful look and then ran out.


The next day at school, one of my classmates said, "EEEE, your dad has only one eye!"


I wanted to bury myself.


I also wanted my dad to just disappear.


I confronted him that day and said, "If you're going to make me a laughing stock, why don't you just die?"


My dad did not respond.


I didn't even stop to think for a second about what I had said, because I was full of anger.


I was oblivious to his feelings.


I went out of the house, and had nothing to do with him.


Then I studied really hard and got a chance to go abroad and study.


Then, I got married.


I bought a house of my own and had kids of my own.


I was happy with my life, my kids and the comforts. Then, one day, my father came to visit me.


He hadn't seen me in years, and he hadn't even met his grandchildren.


When he stood by the door, my children laughed at him, and I yelled at him for coming over uninvited.


I screamed at him, "How dare you come to my house and scare my children!


GET OUT OF HERE NOW!"


To this, my father quietly answered, "Oh, I am so sorry, I may have gotten the wrong address."


And he disappeared out of sight.


One day, a letter regarding a school reunion came to my house.


So I lied to my wife that I was going on a business trip.


After the reunion, I went to the old shack just out of curiosity.


My neighbours said that my dad had died.


I did not shed a single tear.


They handed me a letter that he had wanted me to read.

"My dearest Son,


I think of you all the time. I'm sorry that I came to your house and scared your children. I was so glad when I heard you were coming for the reunion. But I may not be able to even get out of bed to see you.


I'm sorry that I was a constant embarrassment to you when you were growing up.


You see, when you were very little, you got into an accident, and lost your eye. As a father, I couldn't stand watching you having to grow up with one eye. So I gave you mine. I was so proud of my son who was seeing a whole new world for me, in my place, with that eye.


With all my love to you,


Your Dad"