This is my handsome Papa. The bravest, strongest, smartest, most gentle person I know. A concerned, open-minded, empathetic and kind man who proves that we can all evolve, if we so choose. He is the first person I call when I need advice, or if I have a big decision to make, because I know he's got my best interests at heart. I am blessed.
When I was a teenager I thought my parents were the worst parents in the world. I thought it was their joint goal to make my life miserable. Because they wanted to know who I was hanging out with and where I was going. Because I had a curfew. Because I had to hide the smell of cigarettes on my clothes. Because I knew they'd kill me if they ever caught me drinking. Because I couldn't even ask if my boyfriend could sleep over, they'd kill me just for asking. The cool parents bought their kids cigarettes and let their daughter's boyfriends move-in. The cool parents didn't care what time their kid came home on a Friday night. The cool parents didn't care if we raided the liquor cabinet and smoked pot and watched R-rated movies. My parents were so lame.
I get it now, though. I totally get it. My parents did care. They cared so much they sacrificed their coolness so that I would be safe and have boundaries and understand limits. And now when I watch them dance at the Pride Parade, when I see them laughing and posing for photos, catching packs of candy and condoms as they're tossed from floats and distributing them amongst my friends (because we are all adults now), I feel like I have the coolest parents in the world.
2 comments:
He's definitely a 'keeper'....and so are you.
Our parents worked from the same 'book' :)
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