A child's love is unconditional

The other day I was with my kids whom I only get to see once a month now and my son said something that I needed to hear. I told him that daddy misses him so much and that I am sorry that I can't do all the things that they are used to me doing for them, you know...the small things that really count and make memories. But my son who is only 7 years old looked at me and he said

"Daddy...It doesn't matter that you don't have money all that matters is that you are my daddy and I love you! "

Man.....he almost brought me to tears with that one! It was exactly what I needed to hear at the time because I was feeling so bad about not seeing them like I wanted to. Their mom moved 2 hours away out of anger and sued me for child support after I took care of her for eleven years but that's not the worst part! When she moved she didn't leave me an address or phone number for the kids. For 1 month I did not hear from or see my babies so I hired a private investigator to find them for me and when he did she was so shocked! I know she didn't think I was going to let her get away with hiding my babies from me! Is she crazy! I was at her house the first chance I got! She finally realized that she cant stop me from seeing them so she did the only thing left for her to do to me...........child support. My life has not been the same since! The kids were the only thing she had to hurt me with so she used them accordingly. I payed the child support faithfully since it was ordered and still made the 2 hour trip on the weekends when I could afford it. Nothing negative could be said about me when it came to the kids. They mean the world to me and I will never turn my back on them no matter what happens. Before they left I was a stable person....I had a good job, a tight relationship with the kids, and a determination to make it in this world to make sure they did not have to go without. When they left, a part of me left with them but I pulled myself together and did the best I could. My wife moved them away from me and all their friends out of spite. The house she lived in was paid for and she had a decent job. She knew that with my 6 day a week work schedule and her seeing me get up a t 3:30 am and getting home at 4:30 pm, coming home worn out for all those years it would be hard for me to come see them. First of all, they ordered me to pay so much by the time I payed the bills in my home there was nothing left. Then, they cut my lead man job out at work so I lost ten hours a week and took a 2 dollar pay cut. That really hurt! Now instead of having $500 left after child support I was having less than $200 some times. Meanwhile my kids were still calling me asking me to come and get them when I couldn't afford to fill my tank up for the ride and asking me to buy them little things like I used to do all the time which I couldn't afford to do anymore either. I was forced to give up my car and so many more things but none of that mattered to me really.........I just wanted my relationship with my kids back. I started to feel inadequate and worthless and even contemplated suicide. For the first time in my life my stable world was crumbling all around me leaving me to drown in depression. I lost my will to work because it was never enough and my will to live because what I lived for was fading away. I was so down and out and almost ready to accept that this is the way it is going to be when out of the blue my wife shows up with the kids and drops them off! Man..........I was so happy to see them ,running up to me hugging and kissing me and that's when my boy said those loving words to me that lifted my spirits so high! There is nothing more precious than the love of a child, especially your own! It is innocent and unconditional, nurturing and sincere, my spark of light in a world of darkness . The kind of love that everybody needs in their life.