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Hey Dad,

I want to share a story with you that I heard this past Sunday. Actually, it was the "rest of the story," shared after the service by our guest speaker, Bud. During the sermon, he told how he and his wife had stopped at a house while on a walk to check out a somewhat rare Cucumber Tulip tree. The owner of the tree eagerly talked about it and about his life. But it wasn't until after church that I learned the lesson of the Cucumber Tulip. Around the lunch table, Bud shared how the guy they had been talking to suddenly burst into tears and told them that he should be dead right now.

Bud went on to relay the old man's story of how one day, as a child, he neglected to do one of his chores, and how furious his dad became with him. As a punishment, he was not allowed to go with his father and five brothers to town for a soda later that day, and watched as they drove down the road without him.

Minutes later, while still in sight, there was a terrible accident. The old man, who was then a small boy, ran to the gory scene of the accident to find that all five of his brothers had been killed and that his father had a broken neck. When they attempted to move him, he also died. I'll never forget Bud's observation: "That man carried the guilt and grief for 50 years because his dad left mad and hadn't restored his relationship with his son."

I've thought about that since then and wondered how often I get mad, hurt feelings, and then leave without restoring the relationship. I guess I sometimes assume that I'll be able to "make up" later. After hearing Bud's story, I know that isn't always the case.

So, Dad, learn the lessons of the Cucumber Tulip, the little boy who would become an old man, and the power of an unmended relationship. Let me encourage you, if you have some unfinished business with a child—or your wife—to make it right, today! You don't know what might happen just down the road. You need to keep relationships right, because no amount of time can heal a broken father/child relationship.

You 'da Dad,

© 2007 Todd Wilson. Used by permission.

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