The Best Gift My Dad Ever Gave Me

by Suzanne Beecher

Well, my dad wasn't big on giving gifts. Heck, he used to chew me out for opening a can of his peanuts, even when I was an adult.

Most of our relationship was spent in a silent battle. In fact, my dad didn't speak to me for the five years before he died. Even though it was a rocky relationship, I can honestly say that in the end, my dad gave me the best gift that anyone will probably ever give me.

Dad and I were alone in his hospital room. Everyone else had gone to the cafeteria to take a break. I pulled up a chair by the side of his bed and I bent over so we were face-to-face. I started singing softly to him "The Old Rugged Cross." I knew it was his favorite hymn--I had no idea if he could hear me or not--but it just seemed like the right thing to do at the time. In the middle of the second verse Dad woke up. He smiled at me and said hello. He raised his hand, rested it on the side of my face and told me that he never thought it would come to this, and that he was so sorry for everything.

I had pictured an ending scene similar to this where my dad would call a truce at the last minute. My rehearsed response had always been "forget it, it's too late." But instead I told him that we both did the best that we could.

"I love you Dad."

He died the next night.

I think my dad and I had one of the best gift exchanges that you could ever hope for that night.
 

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