Today We Took Photos Together

by Michael Endres

When I got the first letter from my daughter Samantha (Sammi), 14 years had passed since we’d last had any contact. She was four years, her sister Heather was six years and their brother Michael was 14 months. Now she was about to turn 18. When I realized who the letter was from I was very surprised, shocked. While reading it the emotions kicked into gear. I was tickled to death to know that she wanted to know me, and I was sad for her cause she didn’t know how I would feel about hearing from her. She didn’t know that her letter caused my heart to truly smile. She didn’t know that I loved her, missed her and always thought about her. She didn’t know that there had been a time when she wanted to walk on her hands like daddy, and juggle like daddy. She didn’t know that there had been a time when she loved her daddy. Yes, I am to blame more than anybody, and I’m so sorry.

By the time I received her letter it was a few weeks old, and two days
later she called the prison wanting to know if I had gotten her letter and was I going to answer it, or not. My counselor told me while I was at work, and then he handed me a post-it and said, “here’s her phone number and she wants you to call her.” Well, there went the emotions again. I was shaking and crying so much I could hardly dial the phone, but the moment I heard her voice it all stopped. We talked and it was great, even thought the 15-minute phone time seemed to go by in 30 seconds.

Since then, for the last seven years we have kept in touch through the
mail (letters, cards, and photos). She’s married now and they have two children, my grandson Ethan and my granddaughter Isabelle, and my son-in-law is Kyle. Also during the seven years I’ve been moved to a few prisons, and with their being in the Navy they have lived in a few states. About five months ago I got a letter from Sammi saying that they were moving to California for three years and asking for me to send visiting forms. So I sent the forms and a short while later I got a letter from her saying she sent in the forms and was planning to visit as soon as approved. A few weeks later I got the approval. I sent it to her on that Monday and on that Saturday I heard my name called for a visit.

The moment I saw her, her eyes and smile said to me “we are going to be O.K.” After the first little while it was so easy to talk to her, and Kyle too. Ethan said he wanted me to come home with them, and Isabelle sneaked in a hug to my side then took off real quick. There across the table from me sat this beautiful young woman, wife, mom, and still I could see my little girl. She didn’t hug or even shake hands, and the kids didn’t hug, shake hands or call me grandpa but that’s all O.K.

Because seven years ago I got a letter, and today we took photos
together.