Returns to Dad

This is not my workpiece but worth a reading.

When you were 8 years old,
your dad handed you an ice cream.
You thanked him by dripping it all over your lap.

When you were 10 years old,
he paid for music lessons.
You thanked him by never even bothering to practice.

When you were 13,
he suggested a haircut that was becoming.
You thanked him by telling him he had no taste.

When you were 15 years old,
he warned you not to watch certain TV shows.
You thanked him by waiting until he left the house.

When you were 17,
he taught you how to drive his car.
You thanked him by taking it every chance you could.

When you were 18,
he was expecting an important call.
You thanked him by being on the phone all night.

When you were 19,
he paid for your college tuition, drove you to campus, carried your bags.
You thanked him by saying good-bye outside the dorm
so you wouldn't be embarrassed in front of your friends.

When you were 50,
he fell ill and needed you to take care of him.
You thanked him by reading about the burden parents become to their children.
And then, one day, he quietly died.

And everything you never did came crashing down like thunder on YOUR HEART.