Daughter made dad proud by setting goal of donation to cancer charity
Editor:
Father's Day just passed, and I received my presents and hugs and kisses just like all the other Father's Days in the past. Like most fathers I love my children and I am proud to be their father. I have two kids, Zach and Ashley, who never cease to amaze me on a regular basis.
We all have goals in life and things we want to do. Most of these are selfish "what's in it for me" goals and projects.
Ashley has been saying for more than a year that one day she wants to grow her hair long enough to donate it to the Locks of Love project for cancer patients. Her mother, Gina, and I have heard her talk about this every time she was due for a trim, and just smiled and said "yeah, right, she will never do it." She knows that her daddy loves her long hair, and she never likes to disappoint her daddy.
I never discouraged her during this time because I never thought she would actually do it, and her grandmother died of lung cancer and I never discourage someone when they want to help cancer patients after seeing what my mom went through.
Well, I got a phone call from my wife recently to "warn and prepare me" for Ashley when she gets home.
I had a pretty good idea what to expect and was really not excited about it - until I saw her. She had tears in her eyes because, after looking in the mirror, she was in shock and she knew that I would be disappointed that she cut all of her long, blond hair off. Boy, was she wrong. I have never been so proud of her in the 9 years she has been alive! She did something so selfless for someone she will never meet, and did it with conviction and courage.
It takes a lot to completely change your appearance at any age, much less at 9 years old! I don't think that ever crossed her mind during this whole process. She had a goal to reach and nothing was going to keep her from reaching it.
We all know that her hair will grow back and one day she will be like the rest of us and become a little more selfish and "what's in it for me." But for now, I can't tell you how proud I am of this 9-year-old with the beautiful "short" hair, and how proud I am to be her father.
Robert Thurman, Evans