This will tear your heart out

Daddy's Poem
>
> Her hair was up in a ponytail,
>
> Her favorite dress tied with a bow.
> Today was Daddy's Day at school,
> And she couldn't wait to go..
>
>
> But her mommy tried to tell her,
> That she probably should stay home ;
> Why the kids might not understand,
> If she went to school alone.
>
> But she was not afraid;
> She knew just what to say.
> What to tell her classmates
> Of why he wasn't there today.
> But still her mother worried,
> For her to face this day alone.
> And that was why, once again,
> She tried to keep her daughter home.
>
>
> But the little girl went to school ,
> Eager to tell them all.
> About a dad she never sees, a dad
> Who never calls.
>
>
> There were daddies along the wall in
> Back, for everyone to meet.
> Children squirming impatiently,
> Anxious in their seat.
>
>
> One by one the teacher called
> On a student from the class.
> To introduce their daddy,
> As seconds slowly passed..
>
>
> At last the teacher called her name,
> Every child turned to stare.
> Each of them was searching,
> A man who wasn't there.
>
>
> "Where's her daddy at?"
> She 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 say,
> "Looks like another deadbeat dad,
> Too busy to waste his day."
>
>
> The words did not offend her,
> As she smiled up at her Mom.
> And looked back at her teacher, who
> Told her to go on.
>
>
> And with hands behind her back,
> Slowly she 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,
> Since this is such a special day.
>
>
> And though you cannot meet him,
> I wanted you to know
> All about my daddy,
> And how much he loves me so.
>
>
> He loved to tell me stories,
> He taught me to ride my bike;
> He surprised me with pink roses,
> And taught me to fly a kite.
>
>
> We used to share fudge sundaes,
> And ice cream in a cone.
> And though you cannot see him.
> I'm not standing here alone..
>
> 'Cause my daddy's always with me,
> Even though we are apart;
> I know because he told me,
> He'll forever be 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 there in the crowd
> Of dads, her mother stood in tears.
> Proudly watching her daughter,
> Who was wise beyond her years.
> For she stood up for the love
> Of a man not in her life.
> Doing what was best for her,
> Doing what was a right.
>
> And when she dropped her hand back
> Down, staring straight into the crowd.
> She finished with a voice so soft,
> But its message clear and loud.
>
> "I love my daddy very much,
> he's my shining star.
> And if he could, he'd be here,
> But heaven's just too far.
>
> You see he is an American Soldier
> And he died just this past year,,
> When a roadside bomb hit his convoy
> And taught Americans to fear.
>
> But sometimes when I close my eyes,
> it's like he never went away."
> And then she closed her eyes,
> And saw him there that day.
>
> And to her mother's amazement,
> She witnessed with surprise,
> 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 at her side.
>
>
> "I know you're with me Daddy,"
> To the silence she called out.
> And what happened next made believers,
> Of those once filled with doubt..
>
>
> Not one in that room could explain it,
> For each of their eyes had been closed.
> But there on the desk beside her,
> Was a fragrant long-stemmed pink rose.
>
>
> And a child was blessed, if only for
> a moment, by the love of her shining star.
> And given the gift of believing,
> that heaven is never too far.
>
>
> They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate
> them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them.
>
> Send this to the people you'll never forget and remember to send it also to
> the person that sent it to you. It's a short message to let them know that
> you'll never forget them.
>
>
> If you don't send it to anyone, it means you're in a hurry and that you've
> forgotten your friends.
>
>
> Take the time...to live and love.
>
> Until eternity..
>
>
> God Bless
>
> There are many children in the same boat as this little girl, thanks to our
> servicemen and their families for the sacrifice they are making to keep our
> country Free.
> The ULTIMATE sacrifice is being left behind. Don't forget them.