In Memory of my Dad

Описание: Today marks 11 years since my Dad passed away. Some days are easier than others, but every day is marked with grief in some way or another. The fact that he is still so present in my every day thoughts and actions speaks volumes on what kind of man my Dad was.

My Dad was disabled since before I was born, but he never let that limit him once he set out to do something. He was stubborn and proud and never let his debilitating pain stop him. Even if he hurt like hell, if one of us needed something, there he was. He always showed up because that’s the kind of man my Dad was.

He was a stay at home Dad. He cooked, cleaned, kept us kids in line, never stopped doing laundry, amd worked endlessly on the lawn and his gardens. He taught me that gender roles are pure societal fiction and never seemed bothered to do “women’s work” because he was a caretaker through and through, that’s the kind of man my Dad was.

He would drop anything and everything if his girls needed him, or even just asked him to go to lunch. He took care of us, fixed almost any kind of problem we had, and never wanted much credit. He gave everything for his family because that’s the kind of man my Dad was.

I was a very shy kid and never had many friends. Once, I went on a school field trip to the mall, I knew I wouldn’t have anyone to walk around/hang out with, so my Dad came. He spent the whole day shopping with me, even though it hurt him to stand and walk so much. He happily did it anyway, because that’s the kind of man my Dad was.

I think of him every day, I talk about him every day. When I listen to new music, I always consider whether Dad would like this. I would love to play Stephen Wilson Jr for him. I always knew when he liked a song because he’d tap his thumb to the beat. I give him full credit for my (self proclaimed) excellent taste in music.

I would give anything to see him again, to hear his voice, to make him laugh, to listen to one more song together. It’s hard not to be bitter sometimes, we were robbed of so many moments and memories and the security that Dad is only a phone call away. With that said, I’m so grateful for the time we did have, endlessly grateful.

Wherever you are out there in this vast universe, I hope you know you are also always in my heart.