Ever since I was young, I was convinced that my dad had two wives: my mom and his job. It was something I had to come to terms with, especially whenever he’d be assigned to a far-off province. Growing up, I would always envy those kids who got fetched by their dads on a daily basis from school. I wasn’t able to experience it because my dad worked long hours and in distant places.
But I didn’t let it bother me. Instead, I would always talk about my dad in school. Whenever there would be class sharings on our families, I would always brag about how my dad is a man of principle. Despite the rising number of violence against children, I was comforted by the fact that my dad never laid a finger on me.
But there were still instances that made me wish he wasn’t a police officer. Especially during recognition days and parent-teacher conferences, there was always something at work that’s keeping him from attending school functions. There were also those yearly father’s day programs where I would volunteer to perform but he was too busy to make it. These were all the times I felt like he’d have the time to spare for me if he wasn’t in his line of work.
When my dad retired, we would get into numerous fights because I wasn’t accustomed to his way of talking to us. There would be times where he’d start off a phone call with a really loud, almost imposing andcommanding voice, which was very different compared to my mom’s calmer, more nurturing tone. His constant presence was foreign to me since I was so used to the freedom I had whenever he was away at work.
As I grew older, I started understanding him more. My dad wasn’t the best person to carry a calm conversation with, but he always knew the right things to say. Despite our differences (especially when it comes to certain issues), he became someone I constantly turned to for meaningful discourse.
Admittedly, my father isn’t perfect. No one is. We’ll always have differences we’ll probably take to the grave. But I’m glad I was blessed with someone like my dad who will always be there to take me out on food trips whenever I seem to be upset about something. Happy Father’s day to all the dads like mine.
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
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