To honor their late father’s dying wish, two young girls visit his grave on his birthday, dressed in their lovely new dresses. Beside the headstone, they discover two beautifully wrapped boxes with their names on them, completely unaware of the surprises that await them.

Isla, 6, and Madison, 8, missed their father, Brian, very much. Since he passed away, they no longer snuck cookies and ice cream from the kitchen at night, teamed up to prank their mom, or went shopping. Without daddy Brian, those activities just weren’t the same.

“You’re spoiling those girls, Brian!” his wife, Linda, used to chide him. “Why are you all banding against me? I know you’re sneaking treats from the pantry for your little angels!”

“Well, I’m going to spoil them for the rest of my life!” Brian would reply with a broad smile. “They will always come first to me for as long as I live! I’m sorry, my dear, but now you have competition. But you know that I adore you and all my girls,” he’d say, wrapping her in a warm hug.

That was Brian in a nutshell. He always knew how to balance things. He was a devoted family man. However, after he left this world, everything changed. Isla and Madison grew very quiet, while Linda struggled to come to terms with the loss.

Linda’s last memories of Brian were heart-wrenchingly painful. She watched him pass away and was powerless to help. Stage four cancer, the doctors had said. They started treatment appropriately and did everything they could for Brian, but they lost the battle. The relentless illness triumphed.

Brian departed one morning, with the girls having slept beside him in the hospital bed the night before. He had requested Linda to let them stay with him for the night. Perhaps he knew it would be his last night with his little ones.

After Brian passed away, Linda couldn’t pull herself together, regardless of how hard she tried. The girls were stronger than she was. At least they attended the funeral, while Linda couldn’t bear the thought of him being buried beneath the earth.

“On my birthday, I want my little girls to look beautiful, and I am curious to see what they will wear. Promise me you’ll visit daddy and show me your lovely outfits, girls? You see, daddy might not be with you on that day, but promise you’ll look your best,” Brian had asked them as his last request.

So, the day before his birthday, the girls asked Linda to take them shopping.

“Mommy,” said little Isla, “daddy loved my red dress. He got me one for my birthday. I want a red dress.”

“You can choose for me, mommy,” Madison added. “I want daddy’s favorite color.”

“I… don’t think I have the time, girls,” Linda tried to sidestep. She was still mourning Brian, unprepared for anything that reminded her of the end.

“But we have to visit daddy!” Isla insisted. “He asked me to wear something pretty for his birthday. He asked Madison too.”

Linda’s eyes welled up with tears. She was so overwhelmed with grief that she had forgotten it was Brian’s birthday.

“What did he ask you, exactly?” Linda inquired, as tears streamed down her cheeks.

“Daddy wanted to see us dressed nicely on his birthday. We must visit him, mommy,” Isla explained. “Hurry, we need to go shopping!”

“When did he ask you this?” Linda continued. “I… I didn’t know…” She was completely unaware of Brian’s last wish.

“The night before he died, mommy,” Madison shared. “He held our hands and told us he wanted to see us in pretty clothes on his birthday. Mommy, I think we should do it for him. I know you’re upset, but please?” She placed her hands on Linda’s ears. “I know you miss daddy, but we have to do this for Isla. She misses him dearly.”

Madison was always a clever little girl. She understood things that other kids her age might find difficult to grasp. In the end, she managed to persuade Linda to go shopping.

“Alright then,” Linda said. “Let’s get you the prettiest outfits, so daddy sees what he’s missing by not being with us! He’s going to regret leaving us like this!” Linda burst into tears, and the girls embraced her to comfort her.

“Daddy doesn’t want you to be sad, mommy. I know it,” Madison whispered, gently rubbing Linda’s back.

The next day, on Brian’s birthday, the girls wore their new outfits and walked hand in hand toward his grave. Linda followed behind them.

When they reached Brian’s headstone, the girls noticed two beautifully wrapped boxes with their names on them, with a small sticker over them that said they were from Brian.

“Mommy!” Isla turned to Linda with excitement. “Look, daddy sent us gifts! He’s so naughty! Doesn’t he know we’re supposed to give him gifts on his birthday?” she chuckled.

Madison cast Linda a knowing look, understanding that Brian couldn’t have sent those gifts. Dead people do not send gifts.

“Well, maybe he missed his girls. Go ahead, open the boxes, girls,” Linda encouraged with a soft smile.

As the girls unwrapped the boxes, Linda struggled to hide her tears. Isla beamed with joy, while Madison cried for the first time since Brian passed.

Inside each box was a delightful pair of Mary Jane shoes and a letter from Brian.

“Shoes!” Isla exclaimed. “They’re so beautiful, mommy! My favorite color… pink!”

The letter read:

“To my most beautiful girls,

Up here in heaven, a few angels are amazed at how beautiful two little girls can be! They say you’re the most beautiful little girls God has ever created. Daddy can see how good you look in your dresses. But I wanted to make you even more beautiful, so I got these shoes for you. I hope you like them.

You see, daddy isn’t with you, but he is always with you in your hearts. I know my girls aren’t eating cookies and ice cream anymore. Don’t tell mommy, but I know she refilled the pantry with big boxes of cookies. I saw her doing it. Next time you visit me, I want to hear stories about how you stole them without mommy knowing. Just because daddy isn’t there doesn’t mean you can’t prank mommy! I want my girls to be happy and smile every day. You don’t always have to be well-behaved. I’m sure mommy doesn’t want that either.

And thank you for visiting me and wishing me a happy birthday, girls. Daddy loves you and misses you.

With much love for my sweet girls,

Brian.”

“Umm… it’s too much to read!” Isla complained. “Madison, what did daddy write?”

Madison hugged Isla tightly. “He said he’s happy where he is, Isla, and he wants us to be happy too. He misses us. Thank you for everything, mommy,” she added, knowing those boxes were from her mother. “Thank you for bringing us here.”

Linda smiled and whispered, “I love you both,” grateful that the girls helped her overcome her pain and gave her the strength to visit Brian.

What can we learn from this story?

Death cannot destroy the bonds built through love. Brian may be far away in heaven, but he is always present in their hearts. Mothers always put their children first. Even though Linda wasn’t ready to visit Brian, she mustered the courage to do so after seeing how much the girls wanted to see their father.

Feel free to share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them as well.