We had a sweet little Christmas pageant tonight, and I enjoyed helping out during the process. You get a chance to really mingle with the families. Kids were dressed to the nines, and the parents were videotaping and taking pictures.
After the pageant was done, the kids left the stage and raced across the gymnasium to find their parents, who swept them up and assured them that they were the best tree, best bird, best bunny, best star, etc. that EVER was.
One tall man swept his daughter up and held her close and whispered his praises into her ear as she hugged his neck tightly. Suddenly, I saw his face twist, as if he were in pain. The hand that wasn't holding his daughter went to his eyes, and I saw that he was crying.
I don't know his story. I know that the girl's mother was not sitting with him, so I drew the obvious conclusion from it. I also whispered a little prayer from my own heart that, no matter what, the little girl would always know that she had two parents who loved her dearly.