Liam wrote to his son Parker for many years, but he did not respond due to a fight they had in his youth. However, he continued to send him letters, hoping that one day Parker would write back. Instead, the older man received an astonishing photo in the mail that changed everything.
Liam walked to his mailbox and inserted the latest he had written for his son, Parker. They hadn’t spoken for many years due to a terrible fight.
Years ago, Parker decided to drop out of college despite his immense talent and hard-earned scholarships. “You’re making a mistake kid!” Liam told him back then on the phone.
“Dad, I don’t want to stay in college. It’s not for everyone,” Parker responded.
But as he opened the envelope, a picture popped out and fell to the ground.
“But it is for you! You’re academically gifted. You have talent. College is the best place to start earning good money and living a great life. Please, reconsider, son!”
“No, Dad. I’m 20, and I’ve made my decision. I want to travel the world, meet people, and decide what to do later.”
“You can do that after you graduate and have a solid background!”
“No, I need to do this now, and I don’t care what you think.”
The two went back and forth for a long time until Parker got tired. “Again, this is my decision. I will not tolerate any more of this!”
“Excuse me? I’m your father! I get a say in this!”
“No, you don’t!”
They had started yelling by then. “You don’t get to call me father again!” Liam said and hung up. That was the last time they spoke to each other.
Parker traveled the world, and Liam only knew where he was, thanks to the rise of social media. They weren’t Facebook friends, but Parker’s profile was public for some time. Eventually, Parker returned to the United States but lived miles away in California while Liam was in Texas. And Liam didn’t know how to communicate with him.
So he started sending letters to an address he had gotten from one of Parker’s friends. Sadly, his son never answered them. But Liam kept writing. Soon enough, he was sending a letter to Parker weekly though he got no responses from his son ever.
This didn’t discourage him. He wanted his kid to know he was sorry for everything and tried to assure him that he could call anytime. But instead of writing back, Parker closed his social media account, and Liam had no idea what he was doing now.
Moreover, it was heartbreaking to open the mailbox and see that Parker had yet to forgive him. And now that he was inserting his latest letter, Liam felt defeated.
“Maybe I should stop writing. It’s been a long time, and he hasn’t answered. Maybe it’s time to give up,” Liam thought, closing the mailbox lid and walking sullenly back to his house. He shook his head. “No, I have to keep trying because a father never gives up on his kid.”
Liam felt terrible regret for their fight years ago. He should’ve understood his son. College is hard, and Parker only wanted to explore his horizons while he was young. He could’ve returned to college later in life or still chosen a path that led toward a successful life, even if that wasn’t necessarily in the corporate world.
Liam returned to his house and started working on another letter for his son, never losing hope that he would reach out soon.
***
The following week, Liam walked to his mailbox and was shocked to find a strange envelope. It was addressed to him and it came from California. “Parker?” he uttered, amazed and delighted at the thought that Parker had finally written back.
But as he opened the envelope, a picture popped out and fell to the ground. It featured a baby wrapped in a pinky blanket. Liam’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Who could this be?”
Finally, he pulled out the letter accompanying the photo, and his eyes watered reading the words, “Dear Dad” at the top and what came after:
I’m sorry I haven’t responded to all your letters over the years. I want you to know that I’ve kept them. I read all of them, but I wasn’t ready to respond. I am now. I’ve become a father to the most beautiful little girl in the entire world, Luna. She’s become my world in just a few days, and I’m in awe of the love I have for her as a father.
So I need you to come here and meet her. Then we can talk. But I want you to know that I forgive you and am also sorry. I now understand that you were looking out for me all along. This is my new address and phone number. Let me know if you need money for the plane ticket. I can’t wait to see you.
Love,
Parker
Liam barely finished the letter as he sprinted toward his house to buy a plane ticket to see his dear son and his brand-new granddaughter. This was the most fantastic day of his life, but not until he got to California and met the extraordinary ray of sunshine his son had brought into the world. That was the greatest moment of his life.
What can we learn from this story?
Never lose hope when it comes to your kids. Liam regretted his words, but he wrote letters weekly, hoping his son would write back. He never lost hope, and soon Parker reached out.
Parents only want the best for their kids because they love them so much. They might sound harsh sometimes and end up doing things they’d regret, but parents have the best intentions for their children. Liam lived with guilt insisting his ways on Parker, but luckily, they reconciled years later and Parker understood where he was coming from.
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