Every child when they are born, instantly attach to one parent more then the other. For me, it was my dad. From the longest time I can remember all I ever wanted to do was be with my dad, do things just like him, and one day grow up to be just like him. I know that sounds sort of weird, a little girl wanting to grow up to be like a man. I didn’t want to be like my dad because he was a guy and I was a tomboy, I wanted to be like him because of who he was and how he presented himself as a husband, father, son, uncle, grandson, friend, and boss.
Let me take you back to the beginning. I was born in Oregon but I was too young to remember any of my life there. When I was three years old my family moved to Arizona. That’s where I was raised and all of my childhood memories are from. I have a twenty two year old sister that is my best friend, and a twin sister that couldn’t be any more different from me. I played all the sports kids participate in when they are growing up. I was young, carefree and just loving every second of the beautiful life I lived. I had multiple sports game every weekend and my dad was always the loudest one on the sidelines cheering for my sisters and me. Besides sports game, family bike rides through the desert trails, and weekend trips up to our cabin I did everything with my dad. Home depot used to have what they call “Kids Day”. Every Sunday kids and their parents can come and in the Home Depot parking lot you build things with your parents. Such as: birdhouses, coat hangers, shoe racks, and other little nick knack wooden things. I lived for Sundays, I got to do tomboy things and I was with my favorite person in the world.
In 6th grade my family and I moved here to California. Nobody wanted to leave, especially my mom but my dad had been offered a great job here and he had to do what was best for our family and take it. California was nothing like what I have ever experienced. I loved the desert and the heat so coming here was something very new to me. A year after we moved here my parents decided to get a divorce. It really didn’t come as a shock to my sisters, and me but I knew that the life that I had once loved was about to take a big turn for the worse. My dad moved out, I started seeing him less and less and arguing with him more and more. I was becoming a snobby teenager and shutting out who used to be the most important person in my life. My dad was an alcoholic, and out of the three sisters I always stood by his side and never let his decision and actions affect how I felt for him.
Every Wednesday night we would go out to dinner with my dad for the past five years, and every other weekend we were supposed to stay at his house. There was only one problem, his wife. All of us hated her and did not feel welcome in her house so we never chose to stay there on his weekends. My dad still drove me to all of my club tournaments for volleyball, and was always still there on the sidelines just as loud as he was when I was five years old. This past Christmas my dad’s life took a turn for the worst. He finally admitted to being an alcoholic and was admitted into a twelve-step program that was hopefully going to set him on the right path of getting back on track. I started seeing less and less of my dad, and I missed him more then I ever have.
Less then two months ago my dad passed away, completely unexpectedly. He wasn’t sick from what we had known. My life came to a complete stop. I was traumatized and I still am, the healing process of grief is nothing like anything I’ve ever felt before. I’ve had a lot of family members pass away in my life, but this was my dad. Not only was he my dad, he was my hero. My dad was the most loving and caring person I have ever met. He had a way of lighting up every room he walked into. People loved him and admired him. You would never know that my das was an alcoholic just by looking at him. He was the Vice-President of a huge company and had hundreds of employees that admired how hard of a worker he was, and the way he presented himself in the work environment. I’ve never met anyone funnier in my life and I never will.
I’ve gone through a lot, and I have had my times where I have been a problem child but my dad always stuck by my side just like I stuck by his. It was like we had this un-spoken deal that we would never judge each other for another’s mistake. He was my best friend and helped me get to where I am in my life now. I am an 18-year-old girl that just graduated high school; i am a full time student in college and playing volleyball. This picture represents more then I can put into a 2-3-page essay. This picture represents an accomplishment I made in my life by graduating high school. This is my last picture with my dad, and it is one I will never forget.
Hi Taylor,
ReplyDeleteWow! Your dad sounds like a wonderful man and he is so lucky to have a daughter that adores him so much. I know how hard it is to lose a parent. My mom passed away in April of this year and it has been the hardest time of my life. I keep thinking to myself, I will never have another mom. I read your thesis in the first paragraph. I thought you had a lot of supporting information about your thesis, your dad. Example, you wanted to be just like your dad, but in a girlie way and he was always at your sporting functions. How would it be if you left out the, “going back to the beginning” and just wrote more about your dad? I loved your story. Thanks for sharing. Barb
Hello Taylor,
ReplyDeleteWhen I first started to read your story I thought of myself. I am a Daddy's girl also. When I got to the part about your dad passing way it came as a shock and I almost started to tear up. I love that you wrote your story about this it is a great story. In your fifth paragraph you have a small typo it saids das instead of dad. :) I loved your essay.
Hi
ReplyDeleteWow. I am so sorry for your loss. I also felt that this was a Dadd's girrl story and it reminded me of my daughter Hannah. Then it got to the point where he died and my eyes welled up. Like I said before I am sorry. You did write very well and to the point. Your emotion and how you wrote about it very clearly.
Thank you
Benjamin
Hi Taylor,
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your dad like this but I have to say that you put everything perfectly on paper. It was one of those writings that draw attention and you want to know more which is what we suppose to do. On the other hand, there were times that you miss-spelled, so I suggest before submitting such a great moving writing just click on spell check and grammar first to make it even more moving.
Great job
Hello Taylor
ReplyDeleteIt is incredible to read a paper filled with so many emotions. That said I will try to address the assignment questions. Is your thesis sentence “I wanted to be like him because of who he was and how he presented himself as a husband, father, son, uncle, grandson, friend and boss?” If I have identified it correctly then I would expect the paragraphs to support this statement. Your first two deal with husband and father, the growth of your relationship and then there is the paragraph about the loss of your dad and a small amount of information about him as a boss. Maybe the other things mentioned in the thesis need some added details. Your conclusion adds a strong statement about him being the driving factor in your successes and might be incorporated into your thesis. I feel the strength in your essay is the emotions that you were able to convey to the reader, myself, about the image and what it means to you.
On a personal note I am so sorry for your loss. From my own experience I can only say hold those close to you in your heart and reach out so that they can comfort you, time will lesson the pain. You will always remember how important your dad is to you.
BetteJo
First off, thank you sharing.
ReplyDeleteI got the impression that your thesis statement was the fallowing "Every child when they are born, instantly attach to one parent more then the other." You described what made your relationship with your dad so special and the activities you would do as a family. I thought the layout flowed nicely and was organized.
I cried! I am a daddy's girl and i don't really admit it. I am close to him and i know if he passed away I would feel the same way you are right now. I am so sorry to hear what happened to you. My heart goes out to you. You are so brave to share this story with everyone.
ReplyDeleteHey Taylor,
ReplyDeleteI cried while reading your essay, I have never been a daddy’s girl but I have always wanted to be one. Whenever I hear stories like yours of fathers actually being there for their daughters I always start to tear up. My dad is also an alcoholic and was never around much when I was growing up. I am so sorry that you lost your dad; it’s really great that you were able to stick by him after your parents split up.
Sabrina