I gently closed the door, and behind me was the warm little home of my daughter Xiaomei. The night gently shrouded the streets of Shantou, and under the street lamps, my shadow was stretched long. I've been working all day and still have a gentle smile on my face, but my eyes reveal a deep exhaustion. As I walked, I thought about how to give my daughter Xiaomei a complete home in a one-person world.
Xiaomei, a seven-year-old smart girl, always has curiosity about the world in her eyes. Her father died when she was five and a half years old, leaving her and I to live together. Whenever Xiaomei mentions her father, my heart hurts like a needle prick. Xiaomei is too young to bear such a loss. I know that no matter how hard I try, I can't completely fill the void in Xiaomei's heart.
Walking into the community, I saw my neighbors playing in the park with their children, and my heart sank again. With a complicated heart, I pushed open the door of the house, ready to face the longing and innocent eyes of my daughter Xiaomei.
In order to fill the emotional void for my daughter, I began to try various methods. I signed up for the "Family Day" organized by the community, hoping that in such activities, Xiaomei can feel the warmth of family. However, whenever she sees other children interacting with their parents intimately, Mei's eyes will always dim a little. My heart was like a knife, but I couldn't do anything about it.
One day, I invited my friend Uncle Li to play the role of Xiaomei's temporary "dad" and go to the park to play together. Uncle Li is kind and kind, and he has a lot of fun with Xiaomei. But when Mei overhears other children mentioning "fake dad", her smile freezes. That night, Xiaomei silently hid in the quilt and cried, and I sat outside the door, tears falling silently.
At school, Mei's performance began to suffer. At a parent-teacher meeting, the teacher told me that Xiaomei has always been absent-minded recently, and even drew a picture of a family of three in a painting class, but the image of her father in it is illusory. When I heard this, my heart was like a knife. I began to reflect on what I was doing, whether I was really helping Mei, or if I was just comforting my guilt.
Gradually, there was a gap between me and Xiaomei because of this problem. Mei no longer shares her thoughts and feelings with me as she used to, and she becomes silent and distant. I tried to talk to my daughter, but Mei always avoided the topic. I felt powerless and frustrated.
Until one day, when I was packing Xiaomei's school bag, I accidentally found a diary. When I opened it, it was full of Xiaomei's memories of her father and her desire for family. Tears welled up in my eyes again, and I realized that I had been avoiding confronting Mei head-on. I decided it was time to sit down and really listen to my daughter.
That night, Xiaomei and I sat on the sofa in the living room, and I gently hugged my daughter and started a sincere and profound conversation. Xiaomei finally spoke, telling about her longing for her father, her yearning for a complete family, and the loneliness and fear in her heart. As I listened, tears streaming down my face, and I finally understood what Xiaomei really needed. This night became the beginning of the mother and daughter to truly understand and get closer.
After that late-night conversation, my relationship with Mei began to change subtly. I realized that what I needed was not only to fill the void in Xiaomei's heart, but more importantly, for Xiaomei to learn to face and accept reality. I decided to participate in the "Parent-Child Counseling Course" organized by the school, hoping to find a better way to help Xiaomei.
During the course, the psychology teacher guided Xiaomei to express her emotions through various games and activities, and taught me how to better support my daughter. However, during a role-playing game, Mei suddenly had an emotional breakdown and cried out that she wanted a real dad. At this moment, the feeling of powerlessness in my heart reached its peak. I hugged Xiaomei tightly, tears flowing with my daughter's. The parents and teachers around me were deeply touched by this scene.
That night, I sat on the edge of Xiaomei's bed and stared at my daughter's sleeping face for a long time. I finally realized that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't replace Xiaomei's father. But I can be Xiaomei's strongest backing, support her, and face the difficulties of life with her.
The next day, I took Xiaomei to her father's grave. I hope that in this way, Xiaomei and her father can have a real goodbye. Standing in front of the tombstone, I held Xiaomei's hand tightly, and tears blurred my vision again. Xiaomei quietly looked at her father's ** and whispered: "Dad, I miss you, but I will be strong." At this moment, the hearts of mother and daughter were closely connected, and that wordless understanding and support was deeper and more powerful than any language.
After that emotional morning, my life slowly returned to peace. I no longer insist on giving Xiaomei a perfect family, but accompany and understand my daughter more. We cook together, read books together, and talk about dreams about the future together. Mei begins to learn to express her feelings instead of burying them deep in her heart.
Over time, Mei's smile became more natural and brighter. She began to understand that although she was not accompanied by her father, the love between her and her mother was irreplaceable. She has learned to cherish every moment in front of her eyes and cherish every time she spends time with her mother.
The story ends on a warm summer afternoon, and Mei and I sit on a park bench, holding hands, watching the clouds drift by in the sky. Xiaomei leaned on her mother's shoulder and whispered, "Mom, I know that Dad in heaven will also want us to be happy." I smiled and hugged Mei tightly. In this moment, all the pain and regret turned into deep love and understanding.