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TheDiscipleMD

A few years ago I was meeting up with my Father for lunch to celebrate his birthday. As I went out the door, my wife stopped me, and while handing me a card, she said, “Give this to your Dad!” When I met up with my Father I immediately gave him the small card and told him it was from Vickie. As was his custom, he didn’t read it right then but tucked it away in his front shirt pocket.

After an hour or so of eating and conversing, he took the card out and opened it. He read it out loud to me. There was no “Hallmark” message inside or any writing at all. Just a blank card with these words.

“Dad, thank you for everything. I love you!”

It was signed “Vickie”

The brevity of the message caught him by surprise. I could see it in his face. Then something wonderful happened. As he raised his head and looked at me, our eyes connected and it seemed we were both thinking the same thing. He was touched by the simplicity of the message. He smiled and said, “That says it all!” I couldn’t have agreed more.

My father has since passed on but I can still see the expression on his face after reading that card. I can’t quit explain ‘the look’ he had, but it was as close to ‘divine’ as I can imagine. Poets and songwriters can write flowery words to describe the emotions and thoughts of men and women’s feelings and expressions of love. But I don’t recall hearing anything quit so profound as the simple expression of thanksgiving and love my wife wrote that day to my father. I will forever cherish the moment.

The next time I think I need to do or write something grandiose to express my feelings to a loved one, I think of my Dad, and the look on his face that day. And I remember that the expression of love need not be complicated if it is written from the giver’s heart, and the receiver knows that the message is true.