Kidnapped: Wade Morris father of 2 and husband of Amber
Kidnappers: 8 year old daughter Analei & 5 year old son Wade Jr.
At age 40, Wade Morris was working hard to give his family everything they needed….but he was missing something. They needed him.
Working to buy distressed business and turn them to become profitable, he was constantly on the move. Matter of fact it seemed he was always working and his family wasn’t sure when they would see him. AND with the recession….it only got worse. His daughter implied she rarely saw him.
As the show began, many scenes popped up where Wade’s wife, Amber appeared to feel hopeless. No matter how she asked her husband to engage….he wouldn’t.
Not present and working on his computer, Wade worked as his son played on the floor at his feet. A simple way for a child to feel close to his father. Amber spoke of the pain she had growing up without a father and was already recognizing the same kind of hurt developing in her own daughter. Then she shared her own pain…her husband had missed her father’s funeral. For her the pain ran deep and it was a huge wake up call. At that time they had just purchased a new business and “life had to go on”.
Amber seemed to carry a huge burden almost functioning as a single mom. Wade Jr was a miracle baby…1lb and 4 months early. Born with a deficiency, he took daily growth hormone shots. At the age of 5, Wade Jr had NEVER been given a shot by his father. Amber worried that if anything ever happened to her that Wade wouldn’t know what to do.
To set the plan in motion, they first needed a plan! The kidnappers decided they were kidnapping “papa” but where would they go? Of course if you leave it up to the kids…they are heading to Hollywood! The twist though…Amber’s mom, Kathy, was Wade’s business partner. Not appearing to be very flexible, grandma eventually gave in when the kids begged her, ”pretty please with a cherry on top”. Prompting a giggle from their grandmother, she couldn’t help but say “all right”. Finally the plan was set in motion!
The kids and Amber wrote letters to Wade in order to express themselves. Wade Jr drew a picture of his father to help him express himself. The drawing said it all….his papa holding a dollar and him and his sister standing all alone. Kids can put it so simply.
On the day of the kidnapping, their “papa” headed to work and Amber and the kids packed for the trip. Then they arrived at their grandma’s salon and surprised him. It literally hit him! I’m not sure he got the point at first. But as the children and Amber read their letters to him…it suddenly started to click. Analei talked about her father not being there for her soccer games and noting she was sad that he “didn’t come to my 8th birthday party”. Wade Jr merely pulled out his photo and presented it to his father. I felt horribly for Wade. He had no idea it had gotten so bad. Then, Amber read her feelings to him about how he had missed her father’s funeral. She only hoped he would take this time to connect with his family and hear them. As the kids led their father out the door, their mother yelled out “it’s their world so follow them” and he did!
The trip seemed to be going well and Wade even had an “O” moment…his kids and him crawled into a photo booth and took a simple picture. “Pictures are always with my kids and their mother. Now I have a picture with me and the kids. That doesn’t exist. That would be the first in our photo album” Wade shared with a smile. He was beginning to see what he had missed.
Now he needed to learn to connect. Since Wade Jr was so young it was still pretty easy to make him happy. He was just happy to be with his father doing anything! However, his daughter already feeling left out was fully aware that her father wasn’t talking to her. Wade said “men are simple. Women are not. They’re very complex though. I can’t look at my daughter as being anything different than complex”. He had no clue how to connect with daughter. The hard part is that kids at that age don’t know if a parent can’t connect or doesn’t want to connect. When her mom asked her how it went she appeared reserved and simply said “I wish you were there”. She worried that her father “looks mad” and she is afraid to talk to him. In a tender moment, Analei shared that “I’ve never been the real me around my dad before”. Her mother suggested that she have some “papa-daughter time”.
So what activity did Analei choose? Shopping! As they drove to her favorite store, it was so sad…Wade had nothing to talk to her about. It was quiet. Then the ice-breaker, the saleswoman asked if they were ready for her first bra…Analei yelled out “YES” as her father laughed uncomfortably with a resounding “NO”. BUT they bought one! As they pulled out of the shopping center, her father said “you have good taste. You should be a professional shopper”. Her smile said it all!
Now was Wade Jr’s time and all he wanted to do was play with his father. As they sat on the floor in front of the space Wade normally worked, he reminisced about a friend he had growing up that had a great dad….wishing he had one like that. Knowing that he hasn’t made the time, he played and laughed with his son. Wade Jr put it best when he said it “that was sprotacular”. (It was truly the cutest moment of the whole show).
Mom got a little time on a quiet date with her husband. There Wade opened up about his relationship with his daughter…realizing it was not what he wanted. he wanted more. So mom decided to spend the day with Wade Jr and let dad host a “Spa Party” for Analei. OH MY! He didn’t complain about it, but he was very concerned about disappointing his daughter. That was wonderful to hear.
The party wasn’t going so well and he even made a little girl cry. However within a short time, Wade admitted “it went from hesitant to full on PARTY”! Painting nails and giving facials, Wade was laughing…but not nervously this time. He even let the kids paint his OWN nails.
THEN the moment we all knew would come…Wade Jr asked his father to give him a shot. Wade worried hurting his son. After it was over, he found himself relieved and completely drained. Starting to cry he shared that “nothing can replace your kids and nothing can replace how they feel about you.” He TOTALLY got it! Yeah Wade and family!
In an emotional ending, Analei then told her father “it was great that I could show you the silly and fun, playful me” only followed by her mother saying that “my love for you grew again”. After one week of honesty and a bit of help from OWN…this family was coming back together. Now feeling ready to give his children and wife what they need, Wade closed with “better late than never. I’m just glad it’s not too late”.
I LOVE the premise of this show. After seeing this episode and the original sneak peek, I am so grateful for OWN bringing programming that makes us stop and think. I am one of the lucky ones…I have that great mom. Someone who was always PRESENT in each moment and never made me feel as if she wasn’t. So how do you become that parent? My advice is to be present! Make eye contact, listen and give thoughtful exchange. Whether giving a hug when they are sad, laughing at their corny joke or simply asking them how their day went…show you care. It really is that simple. Everyone knows that children want to feel safe. Some parents tend to focus on providing financial security but forget about the emotional security. This show is a great opportunity (not only for the family featured, but for any viewer) to pause and ask themselves….am I present in my child’s life? There is no greater responsibility than raising a child. With great responsibility comes great reward. Relish in the laughter and tears….those memories are priceless.