Divorced dad's heart melts after receiving letter from his 5-year-old daughter living with his ex

A conflict with one’s spouse doesn’t diminish the love a parent has for their children. Matthew, a 37-year-old dad who goes by u/dizzlebank on Reddit, exemplified this bond. After relocating to the countryside following his divorce, he began sending weekly letters to his five-year-old daughter, Frances. Recently, Frances wrote back for the first time, prompting Matthew to share a screenshot of her letter on Reddit.

Matthew shared two pictures in the post. The first picture featured a cute message that read, "Dear Daddy, I love you, thank u," Frances underlined the chunky, rounded handwriting with squiggly lines of neon pink. Between “T” and “H” of “thank,” she doodled a tiny flower and scribbled a heart in place of “U.” The second screenshot carried the bright red illustration of a heart encapsulated between two rows of lovely pink and yellow flowers.

“Just got done with a divorce. Temporarily living on the other side of the country from my five-year-old. Just received this in the mail,” Matthew wrote in the post headline. In an interview with Newsweek, he stated that living in this “long-distance relationship” is painful. While he lives in New Jersey, Frances resides nearly 2,500 miles away in Idaho, with his ex. When he received this heartwarming letter from her, he immediately texted his ex, telling her that it made his day. "I brought it to work with me and hung it up in my cubicle," he told Newsweek.

Matthew described the letter as “beautiful,” noting that Frances had previously asked him to send her something. Apart from daily video calls, he sent her letters every week. “I’ve been sending her short 1-2 page silly letters every week. It’s been pretty fun. This is her first response by mail and it melts my heart. Hopefully, this distance won’t last too long but it’s these things that make it at least partially bearable,” he wrote in a comment.

Recalling his five-year-old girl, Matthew said that she’s “funny and competitive, and brings light wherever she goes.” He added that she has an “unmatched sense of humor” and “a heart of gold.” In the comments section, people expressed awe over this heartfelt exchange between father and daughter. “Very sweet! And thankful to whoever mailed it to you so you could hold their love in your hand,” said u/daisymaisy505. Many people, including u/Dramatic_Living_8737 and u/Fair-Sky4156, said that Frances’ card would make an “amazing tattoo.” 

Others appreciated Matthew’s ex for allowing the girl to mail the letter to her dad. In a comment, he shared that he wouldn’t allow the divorce to affect his daughter’s life. “The ex was, fortunately, understanding. We had our fight; the little gal doesn’t need to suffer for it,” he added.

The New Jersey dad told the outlet that he intends to continue this communication with Frances.

Regarding the reactions to his Reddit post, he told the media channel, "I really appreciate all of the positive feedback on Reddit. My daughter is my pride and joy, and no matter how far apart we are, I always want her to know I love and care for her. It's been nice to see other Redditors acknowledging that.”