A divorced dad living nearly 2,500 miles away from his daughter opened a piece of mail that immediately turned his day around.
Matthew, 37, posted on the MadeMeSmile subreddit, explaining that he is temporarily living on the other side of the country from his five-year-old following a divorce.
The dad (u/ Dizzlebank) included images of the handwritten letter he'd received from Frances that read: "Dear Daddy, I love you," with a heart surrounded by flowers overleaf.
After opening it, Matthew texted his ex immediately and said it had already made his day. "I brought it to work with me and hung it up in my cubicle," he added.
The long distance (Frances lives in Idaho while Matthew resides in New Jersey) is difficult for Matthew who video calls his daughter every day.
"It's beautiful because I know my daughter asked to send me something. I can picture her spelling out each letter verbally and writing them down. She's such a sweet girl," Matthew told Newsweek.
Frances, who Matthew describes as outgoing, funny and competitive, brings light wherever she goes. "She has an unmatched sense of humor and absolutely loves school and her friends at school. Her world knows no bounds and we hope to nurture that as she grows up. She has an absolute heart of gold," he said.
At the time of writing, Matthew's post has received over 340 upvotes and 25 comments from fellow Reddit users, many of them showing support for the dad.
"Thank you OP [original poster] for being a great dad despite the distance. Some dads don't even do it and they're right down the street. Hoping you and your daughter get to live close together soon," one wrote.
"This is the kind of rich that truly matters in life," wrote another.
"As an adult with a dad who stinks, I'm glad you're doing all you can," a third commented.
Matthew intends to keep his communication constant with his daughter. "She's learning how to write and read, which is partly why I aim to send her letters at least weekly. It's such a beautiful moment of childhood," he said.
Sharing the card on Reddit brought Matthew a wave of positivity. "I really appreciate all of the positive feedback on Reddit. My daughter is my pride and joy and no matter how far apart we are I always want her to know I love and care for her. It's been nice to see other Redditors acknowledging that," he said.
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