a post by Bridget Garcia for the Tiny Buddha blog
“What will mess you up most in life is the picture in your head of how it’s supposed to be.” ~Unknown
I may have said a few words that hurt my father’s feelings, but…
See, here’s the backstory.
I’m thirty-four years old, and I started having a relationship with my biological father at age twenty-one. During my childhood years I would see him every now and then even though he lived less than three miles away from my home. I don’t have any memories of being with my dad for birthdays, holidays, family vacations, or even just hanging out watching TV at home.
When I was twenty-one my father called and said, “Hey, I’m outside your house.”
I went outside and he said, “Your mom told me you just had another baby.”
I said, “Yes, I did.”
By this time I rarely had any dealings with my father, and I had some negative feelings about him because he was not in my life in the way I felt he should have been.
A part of me was upset and confused as to why he wasn’t around during my childhood when I needed him. I wanted his guidance and protection, and I felt that he hadn’t given that to me.
We had a conversation, and he told me that I was welcome at his home anytime and that I should come around more often. Despite how I was feeling, I decided I would give it a try because a part of me wanted to be daddy’s girl.
So, I did just that. I called him as often as I could and would go by his house for visits. I finally got comfortable enough that felt like I was in a good place with my dad. He has a wealth of knowledge, so we began having deep conversations about different things in life, and he would give me advice on things I was going through.
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