As we grow up, it can feel like time moves too quickly. So much happens in our lives that sometimes, we struggle to cope with everything on our plates. Balancing our lives, nurturing our passions, and pursuing our dreams isn’t as easy as it was when we were children. Being an adult is exciting and challenging, but a little fatherly support can go a long way.
As I dove into my twenties, I learned more deeply that my parents’ life lessons and support keep me strong and guide me through this journey. My parents are my rock and my compass.
When he was younger, my father was fueled with passion and a lust for adventure.
He used to compete in speed racing, climb mountains, and work in the forest. Later, he even ran a huge company.
Today, my father is different though. Now, he prefers comfortable places to sit and long naps. He is no longer willing to try any food anyone serves him because he can no longer eat sweets. Day by day, it becomes clearer and clearer that my father no longer has the same energy as he did in his younger days.
Nevertheless, I love my father, and I always will.
Here are four things I want him to know about just how deeply he’s influenced me.
It doesn’t matter that my father is starting to show the wrinkles on his eyes and the silver streaks in his hair.
All that matters to me is that my father is alive and well. My father’s efforts to stay present and healthy and to live a fulfilling life are essential now more than ever. Treating his body and mind with the respect it deserves allows my father to care for his family.
The love and care that my father shows my mother will set an example for my siblings and I.
I hope that my father will never stop holding my mother’s hand as they walk down the street. I hope that he will always bring home chocolate and roasted nuts for his midnight chats with my mother. And I hope that my father will always support my mother in her passions and remind us that my mother’s happiness is important to us all. I know that he will show his son and future sons-in-laws what loving a woman should look like. The love that he has for my mother will never end.
I will always love and appreciate the smile that blossoms on my father’s face when we say goodnight and the way he enthusiastically waves back at us.
It’s nice to know that however old we become, our hellos and goodbyes are full of love and will never change.
The never-ending unconditional support my father gives my siblings and I is the best gift a child could ask for.
Even though we may not always show it, we’re grateful that our father is always there for us. I hope that he will never forget how much he means to us, and I hope that he will be in our life for years to come.
Time keeps moving, and it will never stop.
Life may keep me busy, but I will never let it stop me from being present and showing how much I love my father.
Featured Photo by Caleb Jones on Unsplash.
