When a teenage girl’s school classmates visit their home and show their love and admiration, the girl feels a great deal of embarrassment about her father.
Every father aspires to be the hero of his little child. And Sally’s father was no exception. Regretfully, Sally didn’t feel proud of her father. She never asked him to accompany her to her soccer matches or to pick her up from school.
He understood that Sally felt humiliated of her father. He knew it hurt her feelings, and he embarrassed her. She had no idea he would become the hero of the world at some point.
Firefighter Jeff Monahan was once a really attractive man. Above the fireplace hung a picture that was shot when Sally was eight years old, right before her mother abandoned them.
Sally had been quite pleased with the attractive duo that was Jeff and his wife, Alice. However, a horrific fire occurred in a nearby business a year after the picture was shot.
Jeff and his group had received a call. Jeff had entered the burning building where a guy was trapped. The man was severely burnt even after he was freed.
Kindness and courage last forever, but beauty fades.
His face was unprotected, but his body was. Jeff was no longer the most attractive man in town as he emerged from that building. Despite undergoing skin grafts and plastic surgery, he never recovered.
After glancing at Jeff’s wounded face, Sally’s mother packed her luggage. Jeff placed the responsibility on himself rather than her. He had been urged to leave the force by Alice, but he had refused. He wouldn’t have been scarred if he had given up.
Jeff still enjoyed what he did, and had loved it. At least no one gave his scarred face a strange glance at work. He was helpful and well-liked.
Jeff’s mishap and Alice’s departure had completely upended Sally’s life. Once, when her father had driven her to school, she had been ecstatic! Now, though, she was worried that someone might spot him.
Sally said, “I don’t want you to walk me to the gate,” to Jeff. “You can stand on the corner and watch.”
“But Sally,” Jeff objected. “I want…”
She cried out, “I don’t care!” “I want to keep you a MONSTER from my friends! Mom left for that reason! Losing friends is something I wish to avoid.”
Jeff took Sally to the corner and avoided her company if any other children happened to pass by after that day. He didn’t want to be the target of bullying and taunts because of his daughter.
Sally made sure her friends never saw her father throughout the next years. She asked that he not come to her birthday celebrations and never invited anyone to see her at home.
Jeff was a decent, caring, and encouraging father, and he was upset by Sally’s behavior. When Sally asked her uncle, Jeff’s brother, to a father-daughter dance that the school had planned, he was devastated.
When Jeff began dating a fellow firefighter, Sally was taken aback. She questioned him, “How can she kiss you?” “Like…Yech!”
The girl said, “Your father’s scars became invisible the moment I saw his heart,” in response to her remarks.
Sally rolled her eyes and chuckled, but she felt embarrassed of herself in private. Did she resemble her mother? Did she value people’s appearance over their hearts?
She shrugged after that. Everyone had the same emotions! She was certain that her friends would make fun of her if they saw her dad. She was determined not to allow it to occur in order to protect her father’s feelings!
However, fate intervened one day. Jeff and the other firefighters were summoned to a downtown apartment building where there was a fire. One resident said that someone was still inside the building on the third story as the fire spread swiftly.
Jeff entered right away, and twenty minutes later he emerged carrying a man who was unconscious and covered in a damp blanket. After being taken to the hospital, the guy received treatment for smoke inhalation.
There were no fatalities because of Jeff. The big revelation happened at school the next day. Mr. Gardner, the most well-liked instructor in the school, was the guy Jeff had saved!
The gallant firefighter who had saved Mr. Gardner was the talk of the class; he had already been awarded medals for valor. The president of the class said, “I think we should show him our appreciation!”
Every student of Mr. Gardner made the decision to go to the courageous firefighter’s home and offer him a standing ovation. Sally was appalled! They would definitely discover that Jeff was her father!
Sally went home early, making up a sick excuse. She shut herself in her chamber. I hope nobody saw her, wouldn’t understand this was her home!
When the children came and rang the doorbell, she was cowering behind her curtains. As soon as she heard her father enter the door, the children began to sing. Nobody was shouting in disdain!
Sally slipped out into the corridor to observe. The class president was speaking to her father in a courteous manner and admiring his looks.
“Sir,” said the class president. “Would you mind telling me how your face…”
Jeff reassured him. Many years ago, when rescuing a man from another burning building, I got burned.”
“Sir!” said the youngster. “The signs of a hero are those! If you visited the school and spoke with us about your efforts, we would be really proud.”
The other children were applauding and cheering! Sally found it hard to believe. Did the sight of her father not startle them? Then she recalled what Jeff’s fiancée had said: “The moment I saw his heart, your father’s scars became invisible.”
When all she had ever seen of her father were his wounds, her friends witnessed his bravery and heart! Sally emerged from concealment and grasped her father’s hand.
The class president exclaimed, “Sally!” “You know Mr. Monahan?”
“Yes,” Sally replied, beaming at her father. “He is my father!”
What lessons may we draw from this tale?
Consider a person’s character rather than just their outward look. All that mattered to Sally was looks, and she forgot that her father was a brave man of whom she should be proud.
Kindness and courage last forever, but beauty fades. Sally came to see that she was mistaken and that her father was cherished by many more people.
Talk about this tale with your companions. It might motivate them and make their day better.