“A gift?” a boy said when he noticed a present with his name near his father’s grave. The teenager came to the graveyard to tell his father how awful his life was, unaware that the gift would change his life forever.
“Albert! Dinner’s ready!” Albert’s grandmother called him from the dinner table.
The 14-year-old boy was sitting in his room, thinking about his late father. He had just turned nine when his mother told him his father was no more. Her horror-stricken eyes were still fresh in his memory, and he couldn’t forget how his mother burst into tears after looking at his father’s unresponsive body.
Albert’s father was returning home from work when a car accident claimed his life. The little boy didn’t even get to say his last goodbye to the man he considered his hero. He was heartbroken after his father’s death and couldn’t recover from his painful loss even five years later.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
The teenager lived with his mother and grandmother, the two women in his life who tried their best to console him. They always told him his father was smiling at him from above, but Albert believed nothing could make him feel better.
“I miss you so much, dad!” Albert cried, holding his father’s photo in his hands. The boy was ready to do anything to hug his father one last time and tell him how much he loved him.
One day, Albert was at school when his teacher asked everyone to write about what they wanted to be in the future and read their essay out loud. Albert and his classmates began writing, and once everyone finished, the teacher asked them to share it with the class individually.
When it was Albert’s turn, he was excited to tell everyone about his future profession, unaware that his classmates would laugh at him.
“Why did he leave us so soon? Why isn’t he here when I need him the most?” he asked.
“I want to be the next school president,” Albert read the first sentence of his essay and looked at his classmates. “After I finish college, I want to work as a lawyer like my father used to. He is my inspiration,” Albert continued.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
Albert smiled after reading his essay, but his cheeks flushed red when he saw his classmates laugh. After class, the students mocked Albert and made fun of him because they knew his father had passed away.
“You want to become a lawyer like your father?” one student laughed. “But wasn’t he, like… poor or something? Careful what you wish for!”
“Albert as the school president? What a joke!” another student mocked Albert.
Everyone knew Albert was shy, so they thought he couldn’t become the school president or a lawyer. They laughed at him during recess while Albert cried helplessly.
I shouldn’t have written the truth in my essay! Albert thought after he returned home. He felt terrible after his classmates humiliated him. Albert regretted sharing his aspirations with everyone.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
Later that evening, Albert told his mother and grandmother what had happened at school. “Why did they make fun of me, mom?” he asked his mother. “I just told them my father is my biggest inspiration.”
“Oh, darling. Don’t let other people’s words ruin your peace of mind,” his mother hugged him. “You don’t need to pay attention to what they say.”
“Yes, honey. Your mother is right,” his grandmother added. “People will say all kinds of things about you, but you know nothing they say is true.”
Albert burst into tears and confessed that he missed his father. “Why did he leave us so soon? Why isn’t he here when I need him the most?” he asked.
“A gift for my son on his 18th birthday,” read the message on top of the gift box.
Albert’s mother and grandmother felt terrible for the little boy, but they could do nothing to bring his father back. However, they knew how to cheer him up.
“Okay, Albert. I have an idea!” his mother exclaimed. “Why don’t you visit your father’s grave tomorrow and tell him how you feel?”
“Oh, that’s a wonderful idea!” Albert’s grandmother cheered.
The following day, Albert visited his father’s grave after school. He saw a gift beside the gravestone when he knelt in front of it. What is this? he wondered and picked it up.
“A gift for my son on his 18th birthday,” read the message on top of the gift box. Albert quickly unwrapped the gift and was surprised to see a videotape inside it. “Is this from dad?” he mumbled to himself. “I’ll watch it when I go home.”
Before leaving for home, Albert sat by his father’s grave and told him how much he missed him every day. “I wish you were here, dad. All my classmates bullied me because I told them I wanted to be like you,” the teenager said.
“I wish you were alive so they could see that you were the best lawyer,” Albert wiped his tears. “I don’t know why you left me, dad. I miss you so much!”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
After reaching home, Albert inserted the videotape into the player. He thought it was strange that he got his 18th birthday gift well before time, but he didn’t mind having it and wanted to know what the video was about.
Once the video began, Albert couldn’t control his emotions. Tears rolled down his cheeks after watching his father on the TV screen.
“Hey, young man! Happy 18th birthday!” his father said.
“I have a big surprise for you!”
In the video, Albert’s father said his legal agency now belonged to Albert. “You’re the bravest, smart, and most brilliant boy I have ever met,” his father said. “I think you can take care of my agency now.”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
“Your father’s right, Albert,” the teenager’s mother entered the living room and wrapped her arms around him. “Your grandma and I decided you should hear your father’s message before your 18th birthday.”
“Thank you, mom!” Albert rested his head on her shoulder.
“I knew your father’s words would make you feel better,” Albert’s mother smiled.
That day, Albert realized that his father’s words and traits would stay with him forever, even if he wasn’t there with him physically. After listening to his father’s message, the teenager felt confident and decided not to care about what his classmates’ said.
With his newfound confidence, Albert became the school president three months later, leaving his classmates speechless. They weren’t expecting him to speak so confidently in front of the whole school.
Albert worked hard and graduated as a professional lawyer years later. He took over his father’s agency and soon became one of the best lawyers in town.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
What can we learn from this story?
Praise your children. Children crave love and attention from their parents and feel better when they praise them. All Albert needed were a few motivational words from his father to excel in life.
Never give up. After receiving rude remarks from his classmates, Albert could have given up, but he didn’t. He decided not to care about their opinions and worked hard to achieve his goals.
