A special congratulations to Heather, who shared with us a very special moment she had with her Dad.
Just this year I moved into a three-story house with some roommates. I
was desperate to be independent and get away from my parents! One night
while setting up my new living space my hamster "Cheerios" managed to get
out of his cage. I guess I had forgotten to place a book on the top of
his cage, and he pushed the lid right off. I saw him run across the
bedroom floor and into the bathroom. It was not unusual for him to get
out and play, but this was his first time in this house. He was
scampering across the bathroom floor as I sat down to play with him. Just
then he disappeared under the bathroom cabinets. I crouched down only to
see the heating register as being just a hole and missing it's cover! I
started panicking as I heard Cheerio scratching his nails on the pipes. I
tried without any success to get him out. I just couldn't reach far
enough. I immediately ran downstairs to shut the heat off. I was alone
in the house. He must have slipped in the pipes because I could now hear
him running throughout our three-story house. Only bad thoughts ran
through my head. I was helpless! And I felt so bad for poor Cheerio. I
kept trying to get him out as I was brainstorming what to do. The clock
read 1:15 in the morning. I sat down and cried and cried. I started
blaming myself, and felt so bad. Then I asked myself ok what can I do to
fix this? The first thought or rather image that came to my mind was my
father. So even though it was 1:15 in the morning I picked up the phone,
it was slippery in my hand from the wetness of my tears. I managed to get
my dad on the phone. I told him what happened, and by the time I had hung
up he was knocking on my front door. We worked together for hours.
Finally, dad managed to shove a hose through the vents in which Cheerio
climbed up and out of. I was so thankful, and so was Cheerio-I'm sure of
that! What is memorable of this night is what I discovered. I was
reminded of the love that my father and I have for one another. Just as
if I was his little girl again he came running to my rescue. No matter
how silly the rescue was, he was there. We shared something that night.
Something in the air said, " It's ok to go up and venture out alone, but
remember fathers will always have a home for their daughters no matter how
far we roam." When this incident happened I was 23 years old. So who's
to say big girls still don't need their daddies! I love mine!
