I noticed a dad and his son at the park. His son wasn’t able to communicate, but he seemed content sitting in the sand. The dad explained to me that his son could only make some sounds. The boy had been in speech therapy for years. After so much time in therapy, the boy was able to maintain eye contact for a few seconds and the father was delighted by the achievement! He told me how expensive the therapies for his son’s specific needs were and what a pleasure it was to see all of the years of hard work pay off. The father and son connected, and those few seconds of eye contact meant the world to that dad!
As we talked about therapy, the dad shared with me that his goal for his boy was to someday be able to go for ice cream together. He said his father used to take him out for ice cream and he hoped he could do the same with his child. Suddenly, the son stopped putting his fingers in the sand, looked at his father and said, “hi.” Seconds later the boy went back into his own world. The dad wanted to say something, but he couldn’t. His love for this boy was so great that the words would not come. But what did come were tears. Those tears conveyed how proud he was of his son. A father loves his child more than words will ever be able to convey.
Although they were strangers to me, I am honored to have shared in this precious celebration of accomplishment in that boy’s young life. I hope someday they will be able to go for ice cream and have a beautiful father and son outing . This event touched me deeply and made me consider my relationship with my own father. I hope that as they communicate further, more and more memories will be created for them to share. I am convinced the feelings held by all awesome fathers – their hard work, their love, their pride, and their tears of love – are all the same.