Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Gone Fishing (02/01/07)
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TITLE: Love Restored | Previous Challenge Entry
By Pamela Kliewer
02/08/07 -
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“I’m getting ready to go fishing! No! You can’t help, you’ll just mess everything up... now get out of here, you’re in my way!”
The little girl’s eyes filled with tears and her face reflected the anguish she felt at her daddy’s harsh words. Wounded, she turned and walked back into the house.
The memory burned within the young woman’s chest and all these years later the intensity of the pain was searing. The pain of those words had etched themselves on her heart and she didn’t know if the scars would ever be erased.
Years of painful neglect had finally taught her not to count on anyone for anything. No one could fill the deep longing in her soul for closeness and love. Numerous relationships with different guys over the years did nothing for her. They all left her miserable and feeling useless; as if she would never amount to anything. All she would ever be was in the way; messing everything up.
These thoughts whirled around in her mind day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. She was good at putting on a front and everyone thought she had it all together. Inside though, she was a mess and never felt anything but deep pain. She didn’t know how to let go of the suffering she had carried with her for so long and so assumed that it was just something she had to learn to live with, even though it was never easy.
The phone rang, shaking the young woman out of her reverie. “Hello?”
“Hey girl.”
“Daddy?” Only one person addressed her that way...
“Uh, yeah, I was wondering if we could meet for lunch tomorrow? I know that I have hurt you a lot over the years, but I really want to talk with you.”
“Um, OK, I suppose that would be alright.”
They set up the time and place, and said goodbye.
The next day she nervously prepared to meet her father at the designated spot. At the appointed time she arrived and was glad to see that he was already there, so she wouldn’t have to wait. She went to where he was sitting and sat down across from him.
“Listen, hon, I know my calling you came as a surprise. But thank you for not shining me off and agreeing to meet with me. What I am wondering is, will you go fishing with me?”
“Why would I want to do that? Every time you went I wanted desperately to go with you, but you always told me I was in the way and would mess everything up. It made me feel like I wasn’t worth anything to you, and now you want to take me fishing?! Why, after all these years?” She finished with tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Because I’ve met Someone who has changed my life. I want to make things right with you. Sweetie, the way I treated you was wrong, I can see that so clearly now. I know that a lot has been lost and you have been hurt beyond words. I can’t go back and change those things. I can, however, start fresh with you now. I really want to get to know you and I figured the best way to do that is to take you fishing with me, starting with the thing I first denied you, all those years ago. Please, say you’ll go with me. Give me a chance to love you now and show you how very special you are to me.”
Tears were in his eyes and she knew the sincerity of his heart. Somehow, she knew that whoever this person was that he was talking about really had changed his life. She wanted to know what it was all about. She wanted the pain of the past to be gone from her heart forever and saying yes to her daddy, even though she felt a bit hesitant was the surest way to bring that about. She wasn’t sure how, but she knew it to be true in the deepest part of her being.
“Well?”
“Sorry, my thoughts carried me off... Sure I’ll go fishing with you.”
The light in her daddy’s eyes told her all she needed to know; assuring her that he really did love her.
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In your story, we see the devastating effect a parent's neglect and rejection has on the self-esteem of the child. The consequences are diastrous, and you portrayed that message very clearly.
I'm glad that the father chose to begin the healing process by taking his daughter fishing! Thanks for sharing this piece1 :)
You might think about those two paragraphs that "narrate" her lonely years, and find a way to show us her heartbreak instead, through her thoughts, perceptions, and actions.