Daddy was my hero
Looking in the mirror
I catch glimpses of my father
The shape of his face
His almond-shaped brown eyes
He passed his smile to me as well
Even his ears are on loan to me
His sadness and depression
Ignored by the family
Diminished by my mother
Chased away all who did not understand
When I look into his eyes
I see that he also passed those traits to me
My own sad eyes seem to catch me off guard
Every now and then
By the striking resemblance to my Dad's
A blessing in disguise
Our familial dispositions
He was a man of solitude
Who could be kind, friendly, and verbose
When it was called for
His personality was an enigma
Always catching us by surprise
From one day to the next
He could be selfish on occasion
Then, incredibly selfless
Feeding hungry neighborhood kids
From his Gas Station treat cooler
And happily sharing food from our cupboards
To friends when the need arose
He would charge a rich man double to repair his car
Then pass the largesse to the next family
By repairing their broken-down vehicle for free
While passing out ice cream, and soda pop to the children.
He taught me the importance of reading about history
He gave me an insatiable love of learning the past
By sharing his terrifying stories of war in the trenches
Of the Ardennes Forest during WWII
He taught me about his fight with lifelong depression
I always understood him, even when he frightened me
It's a good thing to be yourself
Even if it makes life difficult
If my melancholia was a gift from my father
I accept it with pleasure
It is an honor to be compared to such a man
About the Creator
Tina D'Angelo
I am a 70-year-old grandmother, who began my writing career in 2022. Since then I have published 6 books, all available on Barnes and Noble or Amazon.
BARE HUNTER, SAVE ONE BULLET, G-IS FOR STRING, AND G-IS FOR STRING: OH, CANADA
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Compelling and original writing
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Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Expert insights and opinions
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Eye opening
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Violence Begets
"Any last words, cowboy?" "None you'd understand, sodbuster." "Funny. That's Marshall Sodbuster to you. But I meant some last nugget that would help us in the adjudication of the myriad offenses counted against you and your gang. I wasn't asking for penitence."
By Adam Diehl6 days ago in Fiction
Comments (5)
The title is a killer. This is so relatable. Great writing.
I See Daddy in the Mirror" is a beautifully crafted tribute that explores themes of familial connection, legacy, and the impact of shared experiences.
I'm so sorry no one understood your Dad’s depression 🥺 But I'm glad you did! He is such a noble man!
A great way to memorialize your father through yourself. perfectly done.👏
Dear Ms. Tina - You are an Original Soulful StoryTeller Please see Raise your Voice Comment - Jay