A woman in a dress walking past a graffiti-covered building.

My dad cries.
It is something that I love about him.
My dad is emotional,
but he’s the first one to admit it.
He’s not afraid of being sensitive. 

He is a stubborn man,
a piece of him that was given to me.
It causes long arguments,
with neither of us leaving our post. 

Yet,
he listens,
holding me in my college dorm during a panic attack
and flying 2000 miles to comfort me. 

He opted for Queen,
Elton John
and The Eagles,
rather than KIDZ BOP
His music style created a unique soundtrack for my childhood.
Lady Marmalade brings memories,
running around the living room with my brother,
being chased by dad.
He curates the strangest Christmas playlist Spotify has ever seen. 

He stands firmly behind the use of an Oxford comma,
although my mother would disagree.

He hears me rant about politics,
and the patriarchy,
letting my opinions have value
even if we don’t agree. 

My dad cries.
It is something that I love about him.
It was something that I did not understand until adulthood.
He allowed me to see faults,
showed me how to care
and taught me how to be human.

What are some of your favorites memories with your dad or father-figure? What did he teach you?

Image via Sarah Kehoe, Darling Issue No. 16

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