A Letter to the Dad in the Red Cap

 

If you haven’t seen the video of the father dancing with his wheelchair bound daughter at a pageant, you have to watch this clip here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEd7L7Na0f8

Dear dad in the red ball cap,

I just watched a video of you dancing with your daughter with special needs at a pageant. She was in a wheelchair so you did most of the movement in the dance.

Actually I had to watch it twice because the tears in my eyes made my vision too blurry at the end of watching it the first time.

I’ve never seen a more beautiful dance.

I too am a dad of a child with special needs. And I am speaking for a lot of your fellow special-needs dads.

I want you know sir that if we ever have a Hall of Fame for fathers of children with special needs, we are going to need your red cap and white t-shirt for your exhibit in the Hall of Fame. If you had a number on your shirt, we would have to retire it and hang your t-shirt from the rafters.

See, you think you just showed your undying love for your daughter by your incredibly moving and beautiful performance with her.

You did so much more than that sir.

You showed the world what a rare and treasured gift your child with special needs is to all of us.

You demonstrated that a child with special needs is God’s masterpiece and should be on display for the world to see.

You showed a generation of special-needs dads that unconditional love, courage, and sacrifices are the very definition of strength in a father.

You showed all the men, who just gave up on their children with special needs and walked out the door, that they have turned their backs on the greatest gift they have been given.

You did something with your daughter that she will never forget. Most of the rest of us won’t forget it either.

A lot of men, most men, will say, “I could never do something like that.”

They are right. But you are a real man sir. 

Only a man who realizes that his daughter with special needs is the biggest joy in his life, and who is willing to do whatever it takes to make her smile, would do that.

Her body may be disabled, but her soul was dancing.

Well done, sir. Well done indeed.

We all needed to see that.

I don’t know what the crowd did at the end of your performance with your daughter.

I know I stood up right at my breakfast table and gave you a standing ovation.

I’m also pretty sure I heard all of heaven applauding with me.