Dance With the Father

Letters

"These letters bring me pain and joy at the same time. But I would choose to read these letters over again if it is the only way to remind me how God used my father to show His unconditional love for me. My father showed me the way I should go and for that, I am grateful."

My father wrote me a letter. I thought I lost the letter, but in God's time, I found it together with my first and last letter to him during his last birthday, December 4, 2017. His letter to me is God's revelation to me.

He gave the letter to me through my 4th year homeroom teacher. I noticed that my classmates were giving our teacher sealed letter envelopes. I wondered how come I don't know anything about it, but I didn't bother asking. So came our retreat, our teacher distributed letters to my classmates. These were the letters that she collected before the retreat. I felt sad since Papa didn't give me any letter. But to my surprise, my teacher gave me a letter. I wondered how my father gave it to her. I realized that Papa may have given it during the getting of report cards. This letter was the first and last letter he gave me. This letter will always serve as a reminder of how he sees me as his daughter.

Dear Sandra,

What more can a father like me ask for a daughter like you?

You have been very understanding and supportive of me and your mom during this time when we are experiencing financial difficulties. You haven't shown any temper tantrum or rebelliousness towards us, despite the fact that we haven't given you the best things in life.

You deserve more than what we have given you and yet you haven't complained. For that, we thank you and hope your attitude towards life won't change. If it is to change, may it be for the better.

Only one thing I want you to change is the way you react to your mom when she nags you. I know you are often irritated but please understand that that is her character and you have to live with that.

Aside from that, you are the most loving and caring daughter anyone can ask for. You have given us much joy. Again, thank you very much.

Love,

Dad

Remembering his letter and reading it again made me realize things. My father who never expresses his feelings through words wrote a letter addressing the missing affirmation that I have been looking for. I also realized that he loved me very much. They said, a father is the first person who serves as our basis as to who God is. Our impression of who our father is also gives our impression who God is in our lives when we were younger. Therefore, if my father may serve as someone who reflected my point of view of what kind of god is God the Father, then God must see in me as the most loving and caring daughter. I realized that God sees me as a loving and caring person. He feels lucky to have me as one of His daughters and this was reflected upon my father's letter.

My papa's letter during high school was a testimony that indeed, God loves me. It served as a reminder to me especially during the darkest days of my life that I have God, my creator and father, who loves me unconditionally and sees me as a very special person.

I am eternally grateful to have read this letter as this letter helped in rebuilding the relationship between me and God. For the times that I thought He abandoned me, this letter erased all my doubts in Him. My father's letter served as an instrument of God's never-ending affirmation of how special I am in His eyes.

Likewise, I am praying and hoping that I was able to reflect God's love to my father. I wrote my first and last letter to him back in 2017 of December. It served as my birthday gift to him along with Didache.