As ever, a little bit of dad’s TLC is the perfect remedy

As I watched the clouds, I saw a sunbeam shining through, I really wished with all my heart, It was shining down on you, I hope by thinking of you, I can make that sunbeam shine, And if you need a hand to hold, Reach out and just take mine.

Rachel

is a strong, independent woman. She owns her home, is doing well in her career, she’s a mother…But she’s still prone to bugs and bacteria like the rest of us.

She had mentioned to her dad that she wasn’t feeling well and was probably going to spend the day trying to recuperate.

He offered to take his granddaughter out for the day to give her some peace and quiet.“I thought he was just waiting in the living room, while I got Corey ready upstairs,” Rachel told me.

“But when I came down, he had pushed my couch over in front of the TV, covered it with a blanket, and put a tub of ice-cream and a DVD of my favourite childhood film on the blanket. Just like he always used to do when I was a child.”

Did she feel better for it? Of course she did!

Jack and Evie, who are six and four years old, caught a wind-blown dandelion seed.

Their dad, Sam, told them it was a fairy and said they should make a wish then set it free again. His children’s wishes both touched his heart and made him laugh.

Jack wished his family would always be as happy as they were right then. Then, just as he was swallowing the lump in his throat, Evie wished for a sparkly unicorn!

“Where on earth are we going to keep a sparkly unicorn?” he protested to his daughter.

“It’s a good mix, though,” he told me as the children ran off to the swings. “Jack’s kindness, our happiness, and Evie’s horse-sized dollop of wonder and beauty!”

“And parents who teach them about fairies,” I added. It’s an unusual recipe, but it has “baked” a very happy family.

Andy’s daughter had a big decision to make; one some parents might have disapproved of.

But she told him she hadn’t been worried about his reaction – because she already knew what it would be.

“Thank you for being you when I needed you to be,” she told him.

Now, I’ll admit I may have teased him a little after he told me about it. I may have called him “Ol’ Dependable” a few times but I’ll share with you what else I told Andy.

Growing up is a stressful time and, when the whole world seems to be changing, it is so important to have some solid ground to stand on. A good parent is that firm foundation.

So, to all of you parents who figured that out and who have been there for your children in those times of upheaval … Thank you for being you!

He said: “Hiya. How are you doing? I haven’t seen you for a long time.”

I put down the gardening tools and wandered over. We made some more small talk and, eventually, he asked, “What’s your name again?” like it had just slipped his mind.

I had never met him before.

What he was really saying was, “Can I talk to you?”

And, in playing along, in not being too busy, what I was saying was, “Yes, you can.”

Then, for the best part of the next hour, he told me about his wife leaving him, how much he loved and missed her, and how lonely he was.

As he went on his way, he shook my hand and said, “What was your name again?”

But it didn’t matter.

What mattered was that he had got to tell another soul how he felt.