A Touching Story from a Father.

My wife called, 'How long will you be with that newspaper? Will you come here
and make your darling daughter eat her food?'

I tossed the paper away and rushed to the scene. My only daughter, Lisa, looked frightened.

Tears were welling up in her eyes. In front of her was a plate filled with rice
and vegetables. Lisa is a nice child, quite intelligent for her age. She has just
turned eight. She particularly detested the broccoli. I cleared my throat,
and picked up the plate.

'Lisa, darling, why don't you take a mouthful of this plate? Just for Dad's sake, dear.'

Lisa softened a bit, and wiped her tears with the back of her hands.

'OK, Dad. I will eat - not just a few mouthfuls, but the whole plate."

'But, you should...' Lisa hesitated. 'Dad, if I eat this entire plate, will you give me
whatever I ask for?'....

'Oh sure, darling'.... 'Promise!'......... 'Promise'.

I covered the pink soft hand extended by my daughter with mine, and clinched the deal.

'Ask Mom also to give a similar promise', my daughter insisted.

My wife put her hand on Lisa's, muttering 'Promise'. Now I became a bit anxious.

'Lisa dear, you shouldn't insist on getting a computer or any such expensive items.
Dad does not have that kind of money right now. OK?'

'No, Dad. I do not want anything expensive'.

Slowly and painfully, she finished eating the whole quantity.

I was silently angry with my wife and my mother for forcing my child eat something
that she detested. After the ordeal was through, Lisa came to me with her eyes wide
with expectation. All our attention was on her.

'Dad, I want to have my head shaved off, this Sunday!' was her demand.

'Atrocious!' shouted my wife, 'A girl child having her head shaved off? Impossible!'
'Never in our family!' my mother rasped.

'She has been watching too much of television. Our culture is getting totally spoiled
with these TV programs!'

'Lisa darling, why don't you ask for something else? We will be sad seeing you
with a clean-shaven head.'

'No, Dad. I do not want anything else', Lisa said with finality.

'Please, Lisa, why don't you try to understand our feelings?'

I tried to plead with her.

'Dad, you saw how difficult it was for me to eat that food'.

Lisa was in tears. 'And you promised to grant me whatever I ask for.
Now, you are going back on your words. Was it not you who told me
that we should honor our promises no matter what?'

It was time for me to call the shots.
'Our promise must be kept.'
'Are you out of your mind?' chorused my mother and wife.

'No. If we go back on our promises, she will never learn to honor her own. Lisa,
your wish will be fulfilled.'

With her head clean-shaven, Lisa had a round-face, and her eyes looked big and beautiful.

On Monday morning, I dropped her at her school. It was a sight to watch my hairless
Lisa walking towards her classroom. She turned around and waved. I waved back with a smile. Just then, a boy alighted from a car, and shouted, 'Lisa, please wait for me!'

What struck me was the hairless head of that boy.
'May be, that is the in-stuff', I thought.

'Sir, your daughter Lisa is great indeed!' Without introducing herself, a lady got out
of the car, and continued,' That boy who is walking along with your daughter is
my son Harry. He is suffering from... ... leukemia.' She paused to muffle her sobs.

'Harry could not attend the school for the whole of the last month. He lost all his hair
due to the side effects of the chemotherapy. He refused to come back to school
fearing the unintentional but cruel teasing of the schoolmates.

Lisa visited him last week, and promised him that she will take care of the teasing issue.
But, I never imagined she would sacrifice her lovely hair for the sake of my son!
Sir, you and your wife are blessed to have such a noble soul as your daughter.'

I stood transfixed. And then, I wept. 'My little Angel, you are teaching me how
selfless real love is!'

*The happiest people on this planet are not those who live on their own terms
but are those who change their terms for the ones whom they love..*

Love, Touch, and Inspire your FRIENDS "The life is short, the vanities of world
are transient but they alone live who live for others; the rest are more dead than alive."