A Father's Hope

She was crying when she ran to him and as he caught her in his arms he wished, as all fathers do, he could shield her from harm. But that's not how it works…into her life there will be sunshine and there will be rain…and when the clouds are darkest…the best a father can do is help to ease the pain. Her lips began to quiver as tears fell from her eyes. "He called me ugly, Daddy! Can you please tell me why? " He held her in his arms…and slowly began to sway Hoping, through osmosis, to absorb then take her pain away. "It's not you but his heart that is ugly." He said. "For it is our heart that holds the key… when we look out on the world as to how much beauty we will see." "We don't always know what's in another person's heart… from where their meanness stems… but when they're mean or call you names the problem is not you…it's them." "I am sad, so sad, he called you ugly…but I am sadder still by far… that his heart may never let him see how beautiful you are." She smiled and as they held on to one another he prayed he'd always have the knack… whenever rain falls into her life… to help her find a rainbow… to bring her sunshine back."