The Broken Promise: Learning the Importance of Keeping Your Word
It was just another day in the small town of Millfield, or so everyone thought. But as the sun began to set on that warm summer evening, something strange began to happen. A thick fog started to roll in from the nearby hills, blanketing everything in its path. At first, it was a mere curiosity for the residents of Millfield, but as time passed and the fog refused to dissipate, their curiosity quickly turned into fear. The fog seemed to have a life of its own and with each passing hour it became more menacing - almost as if it were alive.
And that's when people started disappearing. . . .
Promise Made
The sun shone brightly on the day when a parent promised their child a special gift for their upcoming birthday. The child was jumping with joy, eagerly awaiting the special surprise that awaited them. They knew it had to be something grand because their parent had never promised them anything like this before.
The child couldn’t stop talking about the gift, and all their friends were just as excited as they were. It felt like time was moving too slowly, and they wished that the day of their birthday would arrive soon so that they could finally get the present.
Meanwhile, the parent smiled at how happy they had made their child with such a simple promise. They knew that it wasn’t much effort on their part, but it meant everything to their little one. They felt proud of themselves for being able to bring such happiness into someone’s life.
As the days ticked by, both parent and child began preparing for what was sure to be an unforgettable birthday party. The decorations were put up; invitations sent out, gifts wrapped beautifully; everything was in order except for one thing: the special gift that had been promised.
Preparation for the Big Day
The anticipation of a birthday is an unparalleled joy that one cannot deny, and it was no different for the child. The excitement of turning another year older coupled with the promise of a special gift made their little heart race with enthusiasm.
The child spent days fantasizing about what could be in that box wrapped so beautifully with a bow on top. They imagined various toys, games, and gadgets that would bring them hours of entertainment and wonder.
Meanwhile, the parent was caught up in their work schedule and juggling other responsibilities. Despite being busy all day long, they assured the child every night before bed that everything was taken care of—the party planning, decorations, gifts—everything!
But as days turned into weeks leading to the big day, there were no signs of any special preparations for the promised gift from the parent’s side. The child couldn’t help but worry if they had forgotten about it altogether.
However, every time they brought it up to their parent, they were comforted by assurances that “it will be there” without giving away anything specific or concrete.
Despite growing anxiousness within themself over whether or not they might actually get this promised present on their birthday or not; yet still knowing deep down inside how much love and affection lie behind these words spoken each night- something worth waiting patiently for!
The Forgotten Promise
It was the day of the child’s birthday party, and everyone was excited for the celebration. The balloons were up, decorations adorned the house, and scrumptious treats were laid out on tables. The child had been looking forward to this day for weeks, ever since their parent promised them a special gift.
As guests started arriving, the child eagerly awaited their parent’s arrival with that long-awaited present. But as time passed by, there was no sign of the parent or any indication of a wrapped gift.
The child finally asked one of their relatives about it but got no response. Eventually, when all guests had arrived at the party and still no sign of parents or gifts emerged, everyone gathered around to celebrate without it.
The child tried hard not to show disappointment but couldn’t hide their sadness completely. They felt let down because they knew how much effort they put into preparing for this big day in anticipation of getting their special presents.
As people began singing Happy Birthday to them and clapping hands to make wishes come true; tears streamed down from eyes as none seemed like an authentic happy moment anymore without receiving what they have been waiting for so long.
At that very moment, all excitement faded away from the child’s face as they realized that promises could be broken too easily even when made sincerely with love.
Parent’s Efforts to Make Up for the Broken Promise
The parent realized that they had made a mistake in forgetting their child’s birthday gift. They felt guilty and responsible for their child’s disappointment. The next day, the parent took their child to a toy store and let them pick out any toy of their choice. The child was excited to have new toys, but they were still unhappy about not receiving the promised gift from their parent.
A few days later, the parent planned a surprise visit to an amusement park with their child. The amusement park was full of rides and games, which made the child happy temporarily. Even though it was fun spending time with their parent at the amusement park, it did not make up for what they had promised on their birthday.
The following week, when the child came back from school, they found a large box wrapped in colorful paper sitting on their bed. They opened it eagerly and found all kinds of art supplies inside - paints, brushes, sketchpads - everything they could ever want! However, despite all of these efforts by the parent to make up for forgetting about the special birthday gift earlier, nothing seemed to work as intended.
Child’s Perspective
Although grateful for alternative gifts and experiences provided by her parents after realizing what happened on her birthday party; she couldn’t shake off her disappointment entirely. She loved going out with her parents and getting presents from them but still felt like something was missing.
It wasn’t just about getting material things or having fun experiences together; it was about trustworthiness and keeping one’s word. No matter how much effort her parents put into making up for breaking this promise now or in future events similar to this one; she would never forget that broken promise which left deep scars in her heart.
She hoped that someday soon she would come around again where trust can be rebuilt between herself and those closest around them once more without any lingering disappointments.
The Road to Forgiveness
Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months since the day of the party. Despite the disappointment still fresh in their minds, the parent was determined to regain their child’s trust and forgiveness.
Every day after work, they spent time with their child doing activities that they enjoyed together. They played board games, went on bike rides around the neighborhood, and even baked cookies together in the kitchen.
The parent also made a concerted effort not to make any promises that they couldn’t keep. They learned that it was better to under-promise and over-deliver than to make grandiose statements that were unattainable.
Slowly but surely, the child began to open up again and communicate more openly with their parent. The once distant relationship began to heal as trust between them started growing back.
Eventually, one day while playing catch in the backyard, the child brought up what had happened at their birthday party months ago. The parent listened as their child expressed how hurt they felt when promised something special only for it never to materialize.
Without making any excuses or getting defensive, the parent apologized once again for letting down their child on such an important occasion. They acknowledged how important it is always to keep your word and made a renewed promise never again to let them down like that.
Though hurt by what had happened at first, over time through small acts of kindness and extra attention from their parent coupled with learning an invaluable lesson about keeping promises - forgiveness eventually came from deep within.