we’ve always had an unusual relationship. i know that we’ve shocked people in the past, with the way we talk and what we say. I call you an old man, you call me a wiseass. it’s highly likely that they think me disrespectful simply because i tease you for being older than the hills.
i wouldn’t want it any other way though – you taught me that affection can’t be felt through words, but through action. you raised me to speak up and speak out, and to deal with the consequences of my own choices.
i guess that’s why i’ve always considered you my best friend. even though you can be really strict and sometimes downright scary.. even though you’ve complained time and again that i don’t tell you much about my life, that you’re always the last to know.. and even though i don’t know much about your day to day routine either..
and that’s what some people don’t understand. they wonder how we can seem so close and still remain virtually strangers in some aspects. to them i say: being good friends doesn’t mean knowing the other person’s favorite colors, or what time they get up in the morning, or how they spend their day.
i’m just happy, dad, that you’ve always been there for me. you’re the sole person in my life who has never judged me, yet never been afraid to tell me straight to my face what was wrong. you’ve never minced words when it came to telling me the facts of life, and educated me on the different things i need to work on in my life. and i guess you’re the only one who’s ever made me feel really truly loved – with all my flaws and weaknesses. maybe as my dad, you didn’t have a choice, but then you never made me feel that way either: like i was just an obligation, a responsibility, a burden on your shoulders.
so yeah, we may not swap stories on what we do to fill our days, but we’re still friends. you’re still there for me, in every way that counts. and with all the ups and downs of the past few years, that’s what matters. you have no idea how grateful i am that you’re there.
love you dad.
march 2010, chesca's dedication
