Watching your children graduate – be it high school or college – is truly an unforgettable milestone moment as a parent.
Anyone who’s experienced it will surely recall the bursting pride, the untapped joy that comes from seeing your not-so-little one close out a chapter in their lives wherein they’ve worked so hard to achieve a specific goal.
Those positive feelings must have been ten-fold for Texas dad Dennis Roach in 2018, as his daughter’s high-school graduation gave him the opportunity to recreate a photo taken back in 2000 – and the result was enough to warm hearts all over the world…
When Dennis graduated high school in 2000, he was lucky enough to have his infant daughter, Tori, present for the celebrations. At the time, the pair posed for a photo in which Dennis gave his little girl a kiss – the perfect keepsake reminder of his big day.
Fast forward to 2018, and it was Tori Roach’s turn to mark the moment when she finished high school. Needless to say, Dennis was there to share the milestone, and the pair had the brilliant idea of recreating the photo they
In the new version, Tori lay across her father’s arms as he once again kissed her cheek. She uploaded a side-by-side image – with the pictures from 2000 and 2018 – to Twitter, but no one could have guessed just how well it would be received by people online.
“18 years later,” Tori captioned her post. It soon went viral, accumulating almost 150,000 likes and 57,000 reposts.
The comments field was filled with people expressing their joy at the photo.
“Ugh this is just the sweetest,” one person wrote.
Another added: “One of the best pictures I have seen … I wish you and your family the best of luck.”
“Wow lovely…” a third said.
Yet arguably the most fascinating element of the two photos was the detail a lot of people spotted and couldn’t help but comment on. Namely, the fact that Tori’s dad Dennis doesn’t appeared to have aged at all in the intervening years between when the two photos were snapped.
“How old is your father,” mused one person. “He looks ageless.”
“I think you froze your father until you grow up,” another joked.
“Damn did you dad age any?” a third quipped.
Tori couldn’t believe the attention her post received, and was later forced to clarify that her dad, aged 37 at the time of her high school graduation, wasn’t single.
Furthermore, she spoke to People of Dennis’s pride.
“I woke up and I had a ton of notifications. People had started sharing and liking and commenting all over again. My dad was really proud. We’re from a small town, so nothing like this really ever happens. And he was like, ‘That’s so cool!’”
She added: “It brought me and my dad closer in a way because we could share that moment, and I feel that not many other people get to experience that.”
Such a heartwarming story of the obvious love between a father and his daughter. If you found this story interesting, check out the secret Michael Jordan’s been hiding his entire life that was recently revealed by his children!
My daughter didn’t talk to me for a week. I decided to give her a harsh reality check
It all started when my daughter, Jessica, came home from school one day with a gloomy look on her face. As a single mother, I’ve always tried to provide the best for her despite our financial limitations. This time, it wasn’t a new pair of shoes or a trendy outfit she was asking for – it was a $50 Stanley Cup, a branded water mug. Apparently, the girls at her school were obsessed with them, and not having one made her a target for bullying.
I was taken aback. Was it really that big of a deal? Could a simple water cup hold such power over her social life? “Mom, everyone has one,” she pleaded. “They make fun of me because I don’t. I just want to fit in.” My heart ached for her, but the price tag was steep for a water cup, and I couldn’t justify it. I provided her with everything she needed, but a $50 cup seemed excessive and unnecessary.
“No, Jess, we can’t afford that right now,” I said firmly. She stormed off to her room, slamming the door behind her. Days turned into a week, and her cold shoulder only grew colder. The silence was deafening, and the tension in the house was palpable.
The Standoff
Jessica’s attitude didn’t change. She talked to me but always with an undercurrent of anger and entitlement. She was stubborn, and her determination to make me cave was impressive, albeit frustrating. I provided for her needs – food, a clean house, clothes, a roof over her head, and a bed to sleep in. But her silent treatment continued, and I realized I needed to take a stand and teach her a lesson about gratitude and priorities.
So, I made a decision. The next day, Jessica came home from school with her usual cold greeting and went straight to her room. Moments later, I heard a heart-wrenching scream, “NO, NO… MOOOOOOM, MOOOOM PLEASE!”
The Harsh Lesson
I walked into her room to find her looking at an empty space where her bed used to be. “Mom, what did you do? Where is my bed?” she cried out, tears streaming down her face.
I hugged her tightly, tears welling up in my eyes. “Jessica, I love you, and I only want what’s best for you. It’s important to appreciate what you have and not let material things dictate your happiness.”
We moved her bed back into her room together, and the rift between us began to heal. The lesson was learned, and our bond grew stronger as a result. Jessica still faced challenges at school, but she no longer let the pressure of fitting in with material possessions affect her self-worth.
The Resolution
In the end, the experience brought us closer. Jessica learned the value of gratitude and resilience, and I learned the importance of standing firm in my decisions as a parent. The $50 Stanley Cup might have been a symbol of acceptance at school, but the real lesson lay in understanding that true worth isn’t measured by branded possessions.
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