An unexpected visit
My dad and I never seemed to agree on anything. As a child, I was malleable and tried to gain his approval, as children often do. I would pretend to agree with his point of view, even when I actually didn’t. As I entered my teens, the desire to please “Papa” gave way to the realization that the man I had grown up idolizing wasn’t perfect and that in most aspects, he and I were polar opposites. But I would still hold my tongue on most occasions. I found it easier to feign agreeableness, than to displease him, hear his criticism and feel utterly inadequate. It maintained a fragile peace between him and I, though it often left me feeling resentful. He did not reprimand me often. This feeling was not a part of our daily lives. But the resentment I felt was certainly a part of my love for him.
