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"Longer,
Daddy, Longer..."
"Recently,
a woman grabbed my arm at a conference after I had finished speaking on
the enormous need we all have for affirmation.
"Dr. Trent, may I tell you my
story?" she asked. "Actually, it's a story of something my
son did with my granddaughter that illustrates what you've been talking
about--the importance of affirmation.
"My son has two daughters, one who's five
and one who is in the 'terrible twos'." When a grandmother says
this child is in the "terrible twos," believe me, she is!
"For several years, my son has taken the
oldest girl out for a 'date' time, but he had never taken the two-year-old
until recently. On his first 'date' with the younger one, he took
her out to breakfast at a local fast food restaurant.
"They had just gotten their pancakes and my
son decided it would be a good time to tell this child how much he loved
and appreciated her."
"Jenny," her son had said, "I want you
to know how much I love you, and how special you are to Mom and me.
We prayed for you for years, and now that you're here and growing up to be
such a wonderful girl, we couldn't be more proud of you."
Once he had said all this, he stopped talking and
reached over for his fork to begin eating...but he never got the fork to
his mouth
His daughter reached out her little hand and laid
it on her father's hand. His eyes went to hers, and in a soft,
pleading voice she said, "Longer, Daddy...longer."
He put down his fork and proceeded to tell her
some more reasons and ways they loved and appreciated her, and then he
again reached for his fork. A second time...and a third...and a
fourth time he heard the words, "Longer, Daddy...longer."
This father never did get much to eat that
morning, but his daughter got the emotional nourishment she needed so
much. In fact, a few days later, she spontaneously ran up to her
mother and said, "I'm a really special daughter, Mommy. Daddy
told me so."
by John Trent
from Stories For The Heart
Compiled by Alice Gray
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