Daddy's Little Girl

by Martha Jette
(Hamilton, Ontario)

There's something about daddies and their little girls. They seem to develop a special bond that the rest of us just don't understand. So when Dana passed over, it is not surprising that she returned for one last time to see her daddy. And although she was 45 when she crossed unexpectedly, Dana made her last visit an extra special one for the father that she loved so much.
Dana left behind a devastated husband, son, mom and dad. April 2003 marked her husband's birthday and one year since her death. So her father, Marland and his wife decided to travel to be with her husband and son on this occasion. During many visits in the past, Marland would hear his daughter downstairs in the kitchen in the middle of the night. It had become a habit of Dana's, as her husband worked shifts during most of their marriage.
"It was not at all unusual for her to be in the kitchen at 3 a.m., emptying the dishwasher or doing other chores," he said.
Usually, he would just roll over and go back to sleep. But this time, sleeping was just not possible.
"During this visit, I heard dishes, pots and pans banging in the kitchen on several nights. I convinced myself that I was dreaming and didn't give it much thought."
But after a few nights of this, Marland forced himself to stay awake, just so he could see what was going on. Was he dreaming or not?
"I most certainly was not. That clanging and banging was for real!"
Marland decided to investigate. Perhaps his grandson was up preparing a middle-of-the-night snack. But as he entered the kitchen, he was surprised to see that no one was there.
"I tried to understand what this meant and could only come to one conclusion. Dana had always been one for teasing, playing pranks, simply anything for a good laugh. I think she was being a mischievous little angel and had been teasing daddy for several nights, just like when she was a little girl!"
The visit soon ended and Marland went back to struggling through each day without his beloved daughter. Some days were so difficult, filled with such sadness and grief.
"On any given day, Dana was the first thought as my eyes opened in the morning and my last thought as I drifted into sleep at night."
On one particular day, Marland found himself in deep thought about his daughter. That night, as was his habit, he went to bed before his wife.
A Child Again
"I always turn around as I head down the hall, raise my hand and say goodnight to her. Many nights I would fall asleep in my chair, before heading to bed, but on this night I did not. I was wide-awake. I raised my hand, said goodnight as usual and when I turned to continue into our room, suddenly Dana was in full view! She was running from the foot of our bed into our bathroom area. She was a small child again – approximately 2 years of age. I stood there trying to comprehend and make sense of what I saw or thought I saw. I shook my head, took a breath and then continued toward the bedroom door."
Marland quickly glanced into the bathroom, but saw nothing. He looked toward the bed, but there was nothing there either. He just couldn't figure out what had happened.
"Then once more, I peered in the direction of the bath area and Dana came playfully toward the bed once more. She appeared to be almost skipping. This time, I could see nearly all of her face, whereas the first time had been a profile view. Her long auburn hair was floating on air behind her, just as it did when she was a child that age."
"Amazingly, she was in the very dress she had worn for professional photos taken in 1960. The dress was dark brown with a tiny white design."
The strangest thing, Marland said, is that the bedroom was completely dark when this happened.
"Yet, somehow there was an illumination or glow about her that allowed me to see the dress in complete detail. Then, in an instant, she vanished from view."
Marland went into the bathroom and stood totally befuddled. Had he really seen his daughter? If so, what did it mean"
"Shortly, I climbed into bed and pondered the situation further. I could only surmise that she was telling me she was okay and was still daddy's little girl."
In the days that followed, Marland thought even more about Dana's unexpected visit. She had passed over unexpectedly at 45, but had showed herself as just a toddler.
"I truly think that overall, I felt a sense of relief. Not only was she still my little girl, I believe she had a message for me. To help ease my pain, she wanted me to know she was as happy and carefree as she had been at the age of 2. Who could ask for more than that? Unless, of course, another interaction sometime in the future!"

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Story taken from my book "Glimpses 2" It Could Happen To You!