I looked at her and said, “Honey, I’m going to tell you a story.”
I was on the yard with my wife and my five-year-old daughter. She sat on my lap, and my wife was beside me. The yard was bustling, filled with tough guys, but I was lost in the moment with my family. As I began telling her a story, I thought of the Brothers Grimm tale, The Frog Prince. I looked at her and said, “Honey, I’m going to tell you a story.” She smiled, resting her chin on her hand, her eyes locked on mine. “Okay,” she replied softly. “Once upon a time, a long time ago, there was a princess so beautiful that even the sun, after shining for so long, marveled at her beauty every time it touched her. This princess had a favorite plaything: a golden ball. She loved tossing it in the air and running through the kingdom’s lush grass to catch it. But one day, the ball slipped from her grasp, rolled away, and sank deep into a pond. Frantically, she rushed to the edge, peered into the water, and began to weep, crying, ‘Oh, my goddess, my golden ball!’ Suddenly, a voice called out from above, ‘What’s wrong, little princess?’ She looked up and saw a frog poking its head out of the water. ‘Oh, it’s just you, you old croaker. You must know about my golden ball. It fell into the pond, and I’ll never get it back.’ I finished the story, knowing it’s one everyone knows, but I saw my daughter’s eyes light up with joy. It was a moment I’ll never forget. During another visit, I started telling the same story again. She grabbed my face and insisted, “Don’t look at anybody, Pop. Only me!” When I asked what she wanted to hear, she said, “A golden ball.” I told the story once more, and this time, it broke me. I could see the tears in the eyes of my friends on the yard as they listened. It was a special moment, one I’ll always hold dear. To this day it is in my heart, she now has a daughter named Emma, just as I have a daughter named Ellen. I’m proud to be a girl dad. I want everyone to know in here, you can get out of here. Build your rehabilitation package, follow your faith, take responsibility, and praise God for the mercy He gives.
