awayJustgoBuddy...

WHIMPER...

The postman has delivered a letter from Joe’s dad.

Joe quietly reads the letter out to Buddy.

Now Buddy understands why Joe is so upset. Joe is missing his dad.

Buddy misses him too.

DearJoe, I’msorryIcan’tbe with you right now.

Ithinkaboutyoualthetime. Missyou.Love,Dad.

That morning, Mr. Boyd, Joe’s teacher sees Joe standing on his own in the playground.

Mr. Boyd suggests that they go and do some drawing in the classroom.

“I’m really missing my Dad,” Joe says, “but I don’t want to tell Mum or Gran in case I make them feel sad too.”

Not playing footy today, Joe?

Joe usually runs around with his friends. Booofff…

Joe’s Teacher

Mr. Boyd listens and suggests that Joe gives his lovely picture to his dad.

“I think he’d really like that.” Joe smiles.

Mr. Boyd tells Joe to come and find him or another teacher if ever he feels sad or just needs a chat.

Don’t feel like it...

Thanks Mr. Boyd

Mum, can we go and see Dad today?

Joe’s Gran

SLURP!

“Sorry, love. Not this week… but soon. I promise,” says Mum nodding.

Gran and Mum don’t like to see Joe upset.

Everyone misses Joe’s Dad. Gran misses his funny jokes.

She has an idea that might just help, so she pops back to her house and heads up to the attic. Gran never throws anything away. She returns carrying a few dusty boxes.

Humphf!

Sniff...

Sniff...

“These are my memory boxes,” Gran tells Joe.

The boxes are full of old photographs and special things that Gran has collected over the years.

Joe starts to smile as he looks inside each box.

Gran explains that they are going to make a new memory box for Joe.

“There’s a box with MY name on it!” he exclaims, and he lifts out some tiny woollen booties that Gran knitted for him when he was a baby.

Ha,Ha,Ha!

Mum starts to laugh at some of the old photos.

PleasecanIkeep this,Gran?

“This is your dad when he was the same age as you, Joe. You look just like him here,” chuckles Mum. Sniff...

I knitted some for your Dad when he was a baby, too. Look!

Whenever he misses his dad, he can cheer himself up by looking through all the old memories.

Joe finds a few special things that make him think of Dad and all the fun times they’ve shared to go into his memory box.

Joe puts in Dad’s favourite football scarf alongside his lucky pebbles that they found at the seaside, and Mum’s favourite photograph, which is of baby Joe, his dad and Buddy as a little puppy.

Buddy drops in his favourite chewed slipper that belonged to Dad.

Mum tells Joe they can go and see Dad next week. She marks the date on the calendar and the week goes by very quickly.

Zzzzzzzzzz

Night-night, sweetheart

The night before the visit, Joe has trouble getting to sleep so Mum makes him a milky drink. She lets Buddy sleep in Joe’s bedroom just for one night.

They get up early because it is a long drive.