I have never really had a perfect relationship with either of my parents (who has?). But one thing that has remained constant in my family situation is knowing that my dad is always just a call away.
When I’m at school, I may go a month or two without talking to my mother. However, that is never the case with my dad. It could never be. He’d never leave me alone long enough to do that.
Whether it’s him sending me a quick “Go Bills!” on a Sunday afternoon or the twenty Instagram reels that he sends on a random Thursday at 11 pm. I never go long without a short quip from Jason.
The first thing my friends notice about my dad is how alike we look, which is not too flattering to hear as a 20-year-old woman, but it’s true. My little sister is the spitting image of my mother, but I got almost all of my features from my father’s side.
Our looks are not where our similarities end, though. “You are your father’s daughter” is a phrase I hear a lot from many people in my life. From my mother (in a condescending way) or from my paternal grandmother (in a loving way).
However, I have recently noticed these similarities emerging a bit more than usual.
We are often quick to react, which is not always a good thing, and we never stop moving. It is always “go-go-go,” and that oftentimes comes at the cost of any downtime.
This semester, my plate has been full. I am constantly busy with my classes, homework, and extracurricular clubs. On top of that, I have a part-time job at a restaurant about 30 minutes away, and recently, I became a writing tutor. I also haven’t let my social life fall to the wayside. I have developed an amazing relationship with my roommates and have dedicated time to spend with them.
My weeks are spent on my studies, and my weekends are booked with work. I have felt as if I never get a second to take a break.
But like my dad, I have never been one to back down from a good opportunity. I am going to take on all of these responsibilities and keep to them.
As for our similar personalities, we love to beat a dead horse. We will yap together about something that happened until there is no new combination of words to describe our reactions.
Just this past Friday, my dad came down to school for family weekend. We had a great round of golf, and then he came over to my townhouse and had a great meal. The best part of the day? While I was cooking in the kitchen, my dad sat on the couch and gossiped with my roommates. He said at the end of the night, “I want to be a college girl.”
But I’m not always proud of what I’ve inherited from my father. I have a sharp temper and often speak before I take into account others’ emotions.
This year, while also being busy with academic work, has been the year that I have put in the most personal work. I am working to become a better person and fix these small things that I often let turn me into someone I don’t want to be.
I see how my father has changed into a better person in just the 20 years that I have known him, so I trust that I will be able to truly come into the person that I want to be.
While I’m not there yet, I know Jason, my father, my rock of the family, will continue to be with me on the journey.