The Princess
               and the                                       Poppy         

    Once upon a time there was a princess who had a dad who everyone quite naturally called 'King'. This King Lee was the only king in his country. But once a year, he traveled to a far off country to visit another king, King Aling. 

    King Lee took his entire family with him on this long journey, and they had much fun. King Lee had fifteen daughters and one son. 

    King Aling had fifteen sons, but just one daughter. Her name was Ting. She was named after her dad’s favorite dessert made from crushed wheat flakes and chocolate. And she knew she was so loved by her dad. She was the only daughter and she knew she was loved in the most special way.

    Of King Lee’s fifteen daughters, one wanted to be loved in that special way too. But she was only one daughter in fifteen. Her name was Shannon. 

    Shannon wished she was like Ting. She wanted to be loved in a way she felt her one brother was loved. He was the only son, and was to inherit the kingdom. Shannon didn’t want a kingdom, she just wanted to be loved like her friend Ting, having her dad’s undivided attention. 

    Shannon shared these feelings with Ting, not knowing that Ting would later share them with her dad. 

    King Lee waited until the long trip home. When they had almost reached home, he told his Royal Subject to take the rest of his family the rest of the way home. He had a subject he wanted to discuss with Shannon.

    King Lee took her to a very special place. It was a hillside covered with beautiful orange flowers. 

    Shannon was so captivated by the beauty that she ran over the hillside which stretched on downward to a vast field of the same orange flowers, extending all the way to the sea. 

    As Shannon ran through the flowers, the delicate petals that she brushed against fell off, but there were so many flowers you couldn’t tell.

    The King also ran through the field, remembering the last time he had done this, when he was a boy. He felt the same joy now as he ran through the field. He caught up with Shannon and they both had to catch their breath.

    Shannon caught hers first, “This is a most wonderful day. Thank you so much, Your Excellency.” 

    The King’s smile melts, “Please, Shannon. Don’t call me, Your Excellency. If you only knew how much it hurt me. Pa, Pappy or even Pops, but please don’t call me, Your Excellency. It doesn’t make me feel too excellent having a daughter address me in that fashion. You are special to me. From now on, I’m going to call you ‘Sweetie’. So you think on it and decide how you’d like to address me.”

    The King carefully picks an orange flower and hands it to his daughter, “Here Sweetie, this is called a poppy. And this is the most beautiful one in this entire field and hillside.”

    Shannon looks at the flower in her hand, then up to the King, “How can your eye discern that this is the most beautiful amongst all the others?”

    The King smiles, “Because it is in your hand.”

    A week goes by, then another, and his Sweetie continues to call him the same thing, “Your Excellency”. After their special day together, the King had thought she’d soon be calling him Dad, but sadly she was not.

    Maybe one more visit to the hillside.
Once again, the King brings 'Sweetie' to the hillside. But this time all the flowers are gone.

    Shannon stands motionless at the top of the hill, but not emotionless. She looks on in sadness.

    The King stands beside her with his arm around her. He waits a moment for the full feeling to blossom, “Sad, isn’t it? Life is like this sometimes. If we don’t appreciate it when we have it, then the next time it may be gone.” Shannon falls to her knees and cries.

    The King kneels beside her and puts his hand on her shoulder, “Are you okay, Sweetie? What is it?”

    Shannon turns her tear-streaked face towards the King, “I meant no disrespect. You’ve always meant more to me than that. I know my sisters all call you, Dad. And I don’t mean to compare. But now I feel bad that I, above all your daughters, have hurt you the most.”

    A tear travels down the King’s face, “It’s strange the way a person can strive so hard to achieve something, yet miss the simplicity that provides the avenue for it.”

    Shannon locks her hands behind her dad’s neck and kisses him, “I love you. I’ve always loved you, Poppy. You are the most
wonderful Poppy in the whole world. And do you know why? Because you're in my arms.”