Because I don’t tune into the news much, sometimes it takes me a good while to hear about newsworthy spiritual content that I’d really enjoy sharing with my readers. Today’s expression of gratitude on this Grateful Heart Monday is one of those that actually occurred a few years ago and deals with Derek Prue, a father from Alberta, Canada, and his then 8-year-old son Derek Jr.
When Prue noticed his son was constantly wearing a shirt whenever they were at the pool and learned it was due to his son’s self-consciousness and embarrassment with the large birthmark on his torso, Prue wanted to make a difference in his son’s life. So, Prue found a tattoo artist who could ink him with a very similar marking to his son’s, which ended up requiring over 30 hours of painful tattooing. While Prue received quite a bit of attention and praise from the news, friends, and social media surrounding what he did, he maintains the only motivation was to show his son how much he loved him unconditionally.
After I read the article about Prue and his son Derek Jr., I was deeply moved. Seeing the picture of Prue standing next to his son with them both proudly displaying their torsos and both grinning ear to ear, I looked for other examples of beautiful parental love actions like this. I was surprised to see a number of other parents did the same with actions that ranged from tattoos of their kid’s surgical scars to shaving their heads. All of this led me to thinking about one specific thing my father did for me before he died.
When I came out to my father in the summer of 1995, a time when sexuality was far more rejected in families than it is today, his response was something I’ll never forget. He told me that I could have said I had HIV and was dying of AIDS and that he would still love me unconditionally. Shortly after that he even joined a PFLAG meeting all to show his loving support of the new journey I had just embarked upon with my sexuality. While it was a rare unconditionally loving memory from my past with parents who were alcoholic and often showed actions saying otherwise, it’s this memory that I hold near and dear. This is precisely why whenever I give my 12 Step recovery presentations now, I ask who the parents are there. When any hands get raised, I make sure to always tell them the most important thing they can ever show their children is how much they are loved unconditionally and how proud they are of them just as they are. I’m thankful for that memory I have with my father, as I’m sure Derek Jr. is now of his father, because it’s that memory that will help a kid get through any moment in life they end up feeling unloved in a world that can often feel unloving.
So, I’m thankful to report on this story of Derek Prue and his son Derek Jr., someone I’m sure will grow up always remembering every time he sees his Dad’s chest now bearing the same birthmark as his own, how much he’s truly loved and embraced unconditionally. I dedicate today’s Grateful Heart Monday to all the parents like Prue who have done similar actions in their lives all to show their children they are loved NO MATTER WHAT…
Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson
