Daddy loved his little girl
And she was all he had
To him, that child was his whole world
Just Mindy and her dad
Mommy left the year before
A crash took her away
With Jesus now, on heaven's shore
She watches them each day
Daddy taught his girl to walk
And watched her learn to run
Encouraged as she learned to talk
And shared in all her fun
He cried on her first day of school
So sad to see her go
She was his little precious jewel
He always told her so
When they purchased her first bike
He stood there by her side
He let her pick the one she liked
And helped her learn to ride
When daddy's work demanded more
He took a cut in pay
He'd rather be a little poor
Than miss his jewel each day
All the things he did for her
The sacrifices made
He knew inside that it was worth
Whatever price he paid
On Sunday, Mindy listened well
Just like she did each week
Her heart sang like a tiny bell
So eager, yet so meek
She listened as the preacher spoke
And felt her new life start
For as the love within her woke
She gave Christ all her heart
Her first Bible she received
The day that she turned eight
Though they were poor, she still believed
That God was good and great
When Mindy was just nine years old
She always felt so tired
The doctors frowned as daddy told
The things that had transpired
How, as of late, she'd been so weak
Depleted, sapped and drained
The doctors went aside to speak;
'Twas cancer in her veins
They'd caught her illness far too late
'Twas nothing they could do
It felt like such a tragic fate
For dad to lose her too
She told her daddy, "Please don't cry,
I'm not at all afraid."
She kissed her daddy sweet goodbye
Then daddy knelt and prayed
Mindy went to Jesus' arms
On Friday, April 10
Daddy knows she's safe from harm
And that they'll meet again
Yes, he's sad she's gone away
But he will weep no more
Because he's waiting for the day
They'll meet on heaven's shore
This poem was a finalist in the
August 2010 poetry contest