Two little girls visit their dad’s grave on his birthday to fulfill his last wish. They want to show him their adorable outfits. When they arrive, they find two beautifully wrapped boxes with their names on them, and they have no idea what could be inside.
Isla, who is 6, and Madison, who is 8, really miss their dad, Brian. Ever since he went to heaven, they haven’t been able to sneak cookies and ice cream from the kitchen at night, playfully tease their mom, or go shopping together. It just isn’t as much fun without Daddy Brian.
“You’re spoiling those girls, Brian!” his wife, Linda, would often say. “Why do you all team up against me? I know you’re sneaking treats from the pantry for your little angels!”
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Brian would say with a big smile, “I’m going to spoil them for the rest of my life! They will always be my top priority as long as I’m around! Sorry, sweetheart, but you’ve got some competition now. But don’t worry, I love all my girls—especially you,” and he would pull her into a warm hug.
That was just how Brian was. He always knew how to keep things balanced. He was the ideal family guy. But after he was gone, everything changed. Isla and Madison became really quiet, and Linda was having a tough time dealing with his loss too.
Her last memories of Brian were filled with sadness. She watched him pass away right in front of her, and there was nothing she could do to save him. The doctors had told Linda it was stage four cancer. They started treatment and did everything they could for Brian, but in the end, the awful disease won.
Death cannot break the bonds built with love.
Brian’s health kept deteriorating, and one morning he didn’t wake up. Isla and Madison had slept beside him on the hospital bed the night before. He had asked Linda to leave the girls with him that night. Probably he sensed that was his last night with his little daughters.
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Time of death: 4 a.m. Tuesday. That’s what the doctors told Linda that morning after she called them, worried because Brian wasn’t picking up his phone. They looked at her with sad eyes before they covered his face, which used to be so full of smiles, with a white sheet. Brian was gone, and he wasn’t coming back. Linda felt completely heartbroken.
After Brian passed away, Linda struggled to get herself back on track, no matter how hard she tried. Her daughters were actually stronger than she was. They managed to go to the funeral, but Linda couldn’t bear the thought of seeing him buried in the ground.
“On my birthday, I want my little girls to look their best, and I can’t wait to see what they’ll wear. Promise me you’ll come to Daddy and show me your beautiful dresses, girls. I might not be there with you that day, but you have to promise to look amazing,” were the last words Brian said. He wanted his girls to visit him on his birthday.
So the day before, the girls asked Linda to take them out shopping.
“Mommy,” little Isla said. “Daddy loved my red dress. He got me one for my birthday. I want a red dress.”
“You can pick for me, mom,” Madison offered. “I want it to be Dad’s favorite color.”
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“I – I don’t think I have the time, girls,” Linda tried avoiding the topic. She was still grieving Brian’s loss. She was not ready for anything resembling closure.
“But we need to visit daddy!” Isla said. “He asked me to wear something beautiful on his birthday. He asked Madison too.”
Linda’s eyes welled up. She was so consumed by grief that she had forgotten Brian’s birthday.
“What did he ask you?” Linda asked, her eyes welling up with tears.
Isla said, “Daddy wanted to see us in beautiful dresses for his birthday. We have to go visit him, Mommy! Come on! We need to go shopping!”
Linda asked, “When did he say that?” She felt confused. “I didn’t know….” She had no clue about Brian’s last wish.
Madison spoke up, “He told us the night before he passed away, Mom. He held our hands and said he wanted to see us dressed nicely for his birthday. I really think we should do this for him. I know you’re sad, but please?” She gently covered Linda’s ears with her hands. “I know you miss Dad, but we have to do this for Isla. She really misses him a lot.”
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Madison was always a smart kid. She grasped concepts that most kids her age found tricky. Finally, she managed to persuade Linda to go shopping.
“Okay then,” Linda replied. “Let’s pick out the most beautiful outfits for you girls, so your dad realizes what he’s missing by not being here! He’s going to regret leaving us like this!” Linda said, and tears started to flow as her daughters hugged her tightly to make her feel better.
“Dad doesn’t want you to be sad, Mom. I understand…” Madison softly said, giving her mom a gentle pat on the back.
The next day, on Brian’s birthday, the little girls wore their new clothes and held hands as they made their way to Brian’s grave, with Linda following behind them.
When they reached Brian’s gravestone, the girls spotted two beautifully wrapped gifts with their names on them, and a small sticker on top that said they were from Brian.
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Isla exclaimed, “Mommy!” and turned to Linda, saying, “Look! Daddy sent us presents! He’s so funny! He doesn’t realize we should be giving him gifts on his birthday!” She giggled.
Madison shot Linda a look that clearly said she understood that Brian couldn’t have sent those gifts. After all, dead people don’t send presents.
“Maybe he just really missed his daughters. Go ahead and open the boxes, girls,” Linda encouraged with a warm smile.
As the girls tore into the boxes, Linda struggled to hold back her tears. Isla beamed with joy, while Madison shed tears for the first time since Brian had passed away.
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There was a lovely pair of Mary Janes and a letter from Brian in each box.
“Shoes!” chirped Isla. “They are so pretty, mommy! My favorite color…pink!”
The letter said:
“My prettiest girls,
Some angels up in heaven are amazed at how beautiful girls can be! They say you are the most gorgeous girls that God has ever made. Daddy notices how lovely you look in your clothes. I wanted to make my girls look even more stunning, so I got these shoes for you. I really hope you like them!
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1. Even though Daddy isn’t with you right now, he’s always in your heart. I know my girls have stopped eating cookies and ice cream lately. But don’t let Mommy know, I saw her fill the pantry with big boxes of cookies! When you come to see me next, I want to hear all about how you managed to sneak some treats without Mommy noticing. Just because Daddy isn’t around doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun with Mommy! I want you both to be happy and smile every day. You don’t always have to be perfect; I bet even Mommy thinks that’s a bit boring!
And thank you for visiting me and wishing me a happy birthday, girls. Daddy loves you and misses you.
Sending lots of love to my lovely girls,
Brian.”
“Umm…that’s too much for me to read!” Isla complained. “Madison, what did daddy write?”
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Madison hugged Elsa tightly. “He said he is happy where he is, Isla, and he wants us to be happy too. He misses us. Thank you for everything, mom,” she added, knowing the boxes were from her. “We appreciate you bringing us here.”
Linda smiled and whispered, “I love both of you,” thanking her girls for helping her step out of the grief and giving her the strength to visit Brian.
What can we learn from this story?
- Death cannot break the bonds built with love. Brian is far away from his family in the skies, but he is always present inside their hearts.
- Mothers always put their children first. While Linda was not ready to visit Brian yet, she gathered the courage to do so after seeing how badly her girls wanted to visit their father.
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If you liked this story, you might also enjoy this one about a girl without parents who goes to her mom’s grave every week and one day meets someone who looks just like her mom there.
This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.
