The daughter of a coal miner forbids her father from attending her graduation party because she thinks he is too dirty. He ignores her and uses the microphone to reveal something that makes her cry and regret her words.
“Okay, I’ll call you later. Dad just arrived.” Sabrina, 18 years old, said goodbye to her friend as soon as she heard her father park his truck in the garage.
Pedro was a coal miner and always looked dirty and smelled of coal and sweat. Sabrina kept changing TV channels to avoid drawing his attention.
Illustrative image | Photo: Pixabay
She didn’t want him to ask her about her graduation because she didn’t want him to attend. She was embarrassed by his appearance.
“Hi, sweetheart! Look what I have for you,” Pedro said happily as he entered.
Sabrina was pleasantly surprised but tried to pretend indifference. She didn’t want her dad to get too close or touch her things with his blackened hands.
Pedro made a great effort to understand Sabrina, especially since her mother wasn’t around. So he gave her space and left two packages on the table. “I hope you love them!” he said.
Once Sabrina saw that her dad was out of sight, she quickly opened the box and found a beautiful dress inside. She loved it and started jumping with excitement. Then she opened the other box and saw an expensive men’s suit.
“Dad, thanks for the dress. But who is the suit for?”
“It’s for me, sweetheart! I have to look amazing! It’s your graduation,” he said with a wink.
Sabrina pursed her lips in frustration. She threw the box aside and, in a stern voice, said, “Dad, I don’t want you to go. All my friends and their parents will be there. I don’t want them to laugh at me, okay?”
Everything fell silent. Pedro came out of the bathroom, wiping his face. He was shocked. His daughter’s words had taken him by surprise.
“What are you saying?” he asked quietly.
“Dad, my friends’ parents are rich and look like celebrities. I don’t want you standing among them looking like a mess. I hope you understand.”
Illustrative image | Photo: Pexels
“No matter how well you dress, anyone can easily guess you are a coal miner just by looking at your stained face and hands. I don’t want them to laugh at me. Please don’t attend my graduation.”
Pedro was very hurt. What he wanted most was to attend the event.
“But thanks for the dress. I love it!” said Sabrina. Then she went to her room and slammed the door to try on the dress, leaving her father with more than just anguish.
Pedro thought Sabrina was too young to understand his love for her. “She’s still a child!” he told himself, trying to console himself. He decided he would go to the graduation party anyway with the surprise he had already planned for her.
Two days later, the day of the graduation…
“Sweetheart, do you want me to take you to school?” Pedro asked his daughter. She looked so beautiful and he was so proud that she was finally graduating.
“Take me? No need, Dad. My friend David will pick me up in his car. I don’t want to ruin my dress in your dirty truck.”
“Okay! Have a wonderful day, sweetheart!”
“And Dad, don’t come, okay? I trust you won’t. See you!”
Pedro waited for Sabrina to leave so he could get ready quickly and attend the event.
Illustrative image | Photo: Unsplash
“How could I miss such an important day in my daughter’s life? I have to be there!” he said to himself.
Moments later, Pedro arrived at the venue and sat in the parents’ seating area. He cheered as the students were awarded. He couldn’t wait to see Sabrina receive her diploma.
“And now we call Miss Sabrina Perales!” announced the master of ceremonies.
Pedro ran to the front and began filming Sabrina as she received her diploma. He was happy, but his daughter got angry when she saw him.
“Congratulations!” Pedro kept shouting. “I’m so proud of you!”
But Sabrina didn’t smile or respond. She chose to ignore him and join her friends. She couldn’t wait for the ceremony to end so she could confront her father for coming.
Suddenly, Sabrina heard the master of ceremonies say: “Mr. Perales, can you come up to the stage?” The girl didn’t understand what was happening as she saw her father walk up to the podium.
“Why is he calling my dad up on stage? Oh no! What’s going on?” she wondered anxiously.
Pedro happily walked to the stage and took the microphone.
“Thank you, Mr. Lugo! Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!” Pedro began. “Can we start the slideshow, Here is the English translation:
⸻
Illustrative image | Photo: Unsplash
Everyone was stunned when the room went dark, the projector turned on, and a video started playing. When it ended, Sabrina broke down in tears after seeing what her father had prepared for her.
Pedro had made a beautiful video with photos of him and Sabrina from when she was little until just before the graduation. Days before the ceremony, he explained his idea to the school administration and obtained special permission.
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“I love my daughter. Sabrina, I am very proud of you. I know your mother would be just as proud if she were here today. Emma, if by any chance you’re here, you can see it for yourself!
“Maybe you thought I couldn’t raise my daughter alone, but there can be no other father on earth who is as proud as I am right now. Congratulations, Sabrina, we did it!”
Sabrina broke down in tears after watching the video. She ran to her dad while everyone gave a standing ovation. She hugged him and cried: “Thank you so much, Dad! I’m sorry.”
Pedro wiped away his tears and enjoyed the rest of the evening. On the way home, Sabrina remembered her father talking about her late mother. His words worried her.
“Dad, why did you say Mom would be proud if she were at the graduation party? How would she attend if she’s dead?”
Illustrative image | Photo: Pexels
Pedro looked at Sabrina and laughed. “Your mother isn’t dead, honey. She’s alive, and I think she lives on the outskirts of this town!”
Sabrina was shocked because she had always been told her mother had died. Pedro didn’t want his daughter to know the truth until she was an adult.
“WHAT? MOM IS ALIVE? Dad, why didn’t you tell me?” Sabrina shouted.
Pedro realized it was time to make the biggest confession of his life.
“Because your mom didn’t want you in her life. She told me your biological father had died and that there were only two options: either I stayed with you, or she would leave you in a shelter.”
It turned out that Pedro and Emma divorced when Sabrina was little. She had confessed that the girl was not his biological daughter. And although he was heartbroken, he decided to raise her as his own.
“I couldn’t watch you grow up with strangers. You were my world and still mean everything to me,” Pedro cried.
Upon hearing this, Sabrina threw herself into his arms and cried on his shoulder. “So you’re not my biological father?”
Pedro hugged her back. “No, I’m not your biological father, but I definitely couldn’t love you more if I were. You will always be MY DAUGHTER, no matter what.”
“I’m sorry, Dad. I’m ashamed of the things I said to you. You’ve made so many sacrifices for me. What would have happened to me if you hadn’t taken care of me? Please forgive me.”
Pedro wiped Sabrina’s tears, and they arrived home where all their friends and neighbors were gathered to celebrate the graduation.
Pedro and Sabrina never spoke of their past again, but her behavior changed radically. She was proud of her father and realized he was a great man who had raised her with love and dedication when her mother abandoned her.
Illustrative image | Photo: Pexels
What can we learn from this story?
• Never be ashamed of your parents: Sabrina felt ashamed of her father because of his appearance due to his job as a coal miner. She was unaware of all the effort and sacrifice he had made to raise her.
• Your parents and caregivers deserve respect: Pedro was excited to attend his daughter’s graduation party, but she forbade him from going, making him feel that he looked dirty and smelled bad.
