Mara and Ana, two young sisters, found a way to honor their late father’s dying wish by visiting his grave on his birthday. Dressed in their adorable outfits, they arrived and were surprised to find two beautifully wrapped boxes with their names next to the headstone.

Mara, who is six, and Ana, who is eight, missed their father, Radu, dearly. Ever since he left for a better place, their nights of sneaking cookies and ice cream from the kitchen, teaming up to playfully annoy their mom, or going shopping together had lost their charm without him.

“You’re spoiling those girls, Radu!” his wife Ioana used to tell him. “Why do you all gang up on me? I know you’re sneaking treats from the pantry for your little angels!”

“Well, I’m going to spoil them as long as I live!” Radu would reply with a beaming smile. “They’ll always be my first priority as long as I’m here. I’m sorry, dear, but now you have some competition. But, remember, you and all our girls are my world,” and he would wrap her in a warm embrace.

Radu was truly the perfect family man, always knowing how to balance everything. Things changed after he passed. Mara and Ana grew quieter, while Ioana struggled to accept the reality of losing him.

Ioana’s last memories with Radu were heart-wrenching. He passed away before her eyes, and she could do nothing. The doctors had diagnosed him with stage four cancer, and despite starting treatment promptly and fighting hard, they eventually lost, the ruthless disease claiming victory.

Radu’s life ended one morning, with his little girls having slept beside him in his hospital bed the night before. He had asked Ioana to let them stay the night, likely sensing it would be his last with his precious daughters.

After Radu’s passing, Ioana found it hard to move on, no matter how hard she tried. The girls showed more strength than her, as they were present at the funeral, something Ioana just couldn’t bring herself to do, unable to bear the thought of him buried underground.

“On my birthday, I want my little girls to look their best. I’m curious to see what they’ll wear. Promise you’ll come and show Daddy your beautiful outfits, girls?” Radu had asked. This was his final wish, for his daughters to visit him on his birthday.

Thus, a day before his birthday, the girls pleaded with Ioana to take them shopping.

“Mommy,” little Mara said, “Daddy loved my red dress. He got me one for my birthday. I want a red dress.”

“You can pick for me, Mommy,” Ana chimed in. “I want Daddy’s favorite color.”

“I… I just don’t think I have the time, girls,” Ioana tried to dodge the task. She was still grieving Radu. She wasn’t ready for something that reminded her of the end.

“But we have to visit Daddy!” Mara asserted. “He asked me to look pretty on his birthday. He asked Ana too.”

Tears welled up in Ioana’s eyes. She’d been overwhelmed with grief and had forgotten Radu’s birthday.

“What did he ask?” Ioana inquired, tears spilling onto her cheeks.

“Daddy wanted to see us in beautiful dresses for his birthday. We need to visit him, Mommy,” Mara insisted. “Hurry! We need to go shopping!”

“When did he tell you this?” Ioana asked. “I… I didn’t know…” She hadn’t been aware of Radu’s last wish.

“The night before he died, Mommy,” Ana revealed softly. “He held our hands and said he wanted to see us in lovely outfits for his birthday. Mommy, I think we need to do this for him. I know you’re sad, but please?”

Ana, always the sharp one, understood more than most children her age. Eventually, she convinced Ioana to take them shopping.

“Alright then,” Ioana conceded. “Let’s get you the loveliest outfits so Daddy can see what he’s missing! He’ll regret leaving us like this!” Ioana said, bursting into tears, pulling the girls in for a comforting hug.

“Daddy wouldn’t want to see you sad, Mommy. I’m sure of it…” Ana whispered, gently rubbing her mother’s back.

The next day, on Radu’s birthday, the girls donned their new outfits, holding hands as they walked towards his grave, Ioana following behind.

Arriving at Radu’s headstone, the girls spotted two beautifully wrapped boxes with their names on them, accompanied by a little sticker that read they were from Radu.

“Mommy!” Mara turned to Ioana and exclaimed, “Look, Daddy sent us gifts! He’s so mischievous! Doesn’t he know we’re the ones supposed to give him gifts on his birthday?” she chuckled.

Ana glanced at Ioana with a knowing look. She understood that Radu couldn’t send those gifts—the dead don’t send presents.

“Well, I suppose he missed his little girls. Come on, open the boxes, girls,” Ioana encouraged with a warm smile.

As the girls unwrapped the boxes, Ioana struggled to hide her tears. Mara grinned with delight, while Ana, for the first time since Radu’s passing, shed tears.

Inside each box was a beautiful pair of Mary Jane shoes and a letter from Radu.

“Shoes!” Mara exclaimed. “They’re so pretty, Mommy! My favorite color… pink!”

The letter read:

“To my most beautiful girls,

Up here in heaven, some angels are astounded by how beautiful two little girls can be! They say you are God’s most lovely creations. Daddy can see how stunning you look in your dresses. But I wanted to make you even more beautiful, so I got these shoes for you. I hope you like them.

You see, Daddy isn’t there with you, but he’s always in your hearts. I know my girls aren’t sneaking cookies and ice cream anymore. Don’t tell Mommy, but I know she’s refilled the pantry with big boxes of cookies. I saw her doing it. Next time you visit me, I want to hear tales of how you successfully snuck them without Mommy knowing. Just because Daddy’s not there doesn’t mean we won’t have some fun with Mommy! I want my girls happy and smiling every day. You don’t always have to be good. I’m sure your Mommy doesn’t want that either.

Thank you for visiting and wishing me a Happy Birthday, girls. Daddy loves and misses you.”

With lots of love for my sweet girls,

Radu.”

“Umm… it’s too long to read!” Mara complained. “Ana, what did Daddy write?”

Ana hugged Mara tightly. “He said he’s happy where he is, Mara, and wants us to be happy too. He misses us. Thank you for everything, Mommy,” Ana added, understanding that those boxes came from her mother. “Thank you for bringing us here.”

Ioana smiled warmly, whispering, “I love you both,” grateful for her daughters, who had helped her move through the pain, giving her the courage to visit Radu.

What can we learn from this story?

Death cannot break the bonds built through love. Though Radu is in heaven, he remains ever-present in his family’s hearts. Mothers always put their children first. Although Ioana wasn’t ready to visit Radu, gathering the courage to do so after seeing how much the girls wanted to see their father is a testament to a mother’s love.

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