An 11-year-old girl manages to forgive the biological father who abandoned her

Humans of New York, a beloved blog renowned for sharing inspirational stories of everyday individuals, posted about a man’s challenging connection with his father.

The comments section was inundated with people who could empathize with the struggles of growing up with absent and stern fathers.

However, amidst the sea of responses, one comment resonated profoundly with thousands. This comment from 2015 carried such immense power that it has been circulating the internet for years, and even today its impact remains undiminished.

The poignant account came from Jennifer, a single mother, as she bravely shared her own story concerning the biological dad of her daughter.

Here’s the particular comment that struck a chord in many people:

My daughter has not seen her biological dad since she was four. She’s 11 now. When she was two he contacted me and asked if I would allow him to terminate his parental rights so he could stop paying child support and I agreed.

I wanted to spare her the heartache of a revolving door father and the sacrifice of the financial support was well worth him never being able to disappoint her again.

I never lied to her about where he went or who her dad was. I have always answered her questions in the most age appropriate way possible.

When she was four he contacted me and told me he has been diagnosed with cancer and would like to see her. I set aside a day and we met in the park. He had asked for two hours. He stayed 20 minutes and we never heard from him again.

Over the summer we ran into somebody that knows him and they commented on how she looks like his other children. They elaborated that he has settled down and has a family now.

My stomach tied itself in knots thinking of how hurtful that must be to my daughter. I cut the conversation short and we got in the car to leave and that’s when I saw her smiling.

She said “mom.. He figured out how to be a dad. That’s such a nice thing. I’m happy for his kids.” And that’s he day an 11 year old taught me all I need to know about forgiveness.

The particular comment was eventually removed by Jennifer due to unknown reasons; however, it was reposted on Tumblr, and once again, it gained traction. 

When told how much people were impacted by her comment, this was her reply:

“My daughter, Meredith, and I have been watching this spread and enjoying it very much… Meredith has had a difficult life and has met every difficulty with poise and grace and I truly wish I could take credit, but she was just kind of born amazing. You’ve [all] made a little girl very happy. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

We have no doubt Jennifer’s story will continue to thrive and strike a chord with everyone because of its timeless lesson on forgiveness. Adding to the fact that this teachable moment came from an 11-year-old girl who showed us what truly matters in life.