I miss you my baby.

As a divorced Dad, I was collecting my 7 year old daughter from school for our weekly afternoon together. These afternoons I’d pick her up from school, go to horse riding lessons and then onto our local favourite place for waffles and ice cream before taking her back to her mother.

This day, she approached the car crying, her little cheeks showing the brown marks where the tears had been running. I jumped out and asked her what happened? Daddy, can we please go to Amor (her horse) first, I will tell you on the way. I tried again to find out what was wrong, but she refused to tell me till we were driving.

Eventually I gave in and started driving away and she told me how two boys had bullied her on the playground because she was wearing her riding clothes. One had kicked her in the back, which was still sore. I lifted her shirt and the bruise was already starting to show, a horrible blue and red mark.

I stopped the car to turn around, determined to take this up with the school headmaster, but my daughter begged me, daddy, please daddy, don’t. Why I asked her? Why? This boy needs to be punished for what he has done!

Daddy, if you do that, he will get into big trouble and I don’t want him to get into trouble because that will hurt him and make him sad.

I gently explained to her that the boy needed to learn that he can’t go around behaving like that, but she was adamant that this afternoon was our time and there was so little of it, she was not going to let this ruin the couple of hours we had together.

Eventually we compromised and she agreed she would tell her mother about it, and her mother had an appointment with the school the next day anyway, so we wouldn’t waste that precious afternoon we had together.

We did have a wonderful afternoon together, it was one of the most memorable ever, I will never forget it. My lovely little sunshine showed me that she was an old soul who had more compassion and thought for others, than what they had for her.

Later I was to find out that she never did tell her Mom, she simply did not want them to get into trouble, even though they had hurt her.

That was the last of our Wednesday afternoons together. The next Wednesday morning, another person in his cruelty decided to do an experiment. That experiment had ambulances rushing from one hospital to another, trying to get my daughter the best trauma care available.

Then God made his decision, this gentle little soul who always had a kind word and deed for others would never have to suffer again. The most beautiful of his flowers belonged in his garden.

I love and miss you my baby. – Anon

Though this story is not in line with the positive theme we generally publish, it’s important to highlight the urgency in making schools aware of the importance of teaching kindness in order to combat bullying.