Sally was ashamed of her dad, Jeff Monahan, a fireman whose face was disfigured in a fire rescue. He once had been handsome, but after saving a man from a burning building, his appearance changed forever. Despite his heroism, Sally didn’t want her friends to see him.
Jeff knew his daughter’s feelings and respected her wishes, even though it hurt him. He avoided being seen at her school and soccer games. “I don’t want my friends to see what a MONSTER you are!” Sally had once screamed at him.
Years passed, and Sally continued to hide her father. She was embarrassed by his scars and feared being mocked by her peers. However, fate had other plans. Jeff rescued a man from another fire, who turned out to be Mr. Gardner, the most popular teacher at Sally’s school.
The next day, her classmates decided to honor the brave fireman. Sally was horrified when they came to her house. But to her surprise, they respected and admired her dad. “Those are the marks of a hero!” the class president exclaimed after hearing Jeff’s story.
Seeing her friends’ reaction, Sally realized she had been wrong. She proudly took her dad’s hand and introduced him, “He is my father!” She finally saw her dad’s heart and courage, just as others did.
