
I’ve always considered myself a daddy’s girl. As far back as I can remember, I would always prepare two cups of juice: one for him and one for me. Our relationship was special, effortless, and loving. Then he left. My parents separated, and our home crumbled from the dissolution of their marriage. I was devastated.
At 8-years-old, I experienced abandonment. My father returned to his home country across the pond. Unlike most people my age, I became aware of deceit. I thought he would always have my back, but he didn’t. We went from Friday night movies on the couch to only being able to talk through a $5 phone card that I purchased from the local bodega. Our time was limited by minutes, leaving only enough room for surface conversations. I was angry without the vocabulary or context to express myself fully. How could he abandon us like this? My parents weren’t perfect, but they were home.
BlackLove.com Related Articles:
How Do I Become the Father My Children Need?
Omarion on the Power of Fatherhood: ‘It’s a Part of My Purpose’
Celebrating Black Fatherhood: A Photo Series Based in Minneapolis
A few hours after I arrived on campus, he appeared at my dorm. It was an emotional reunion as we cried together in the hallway, hugging, and in pure shock that we were in the same place. Nothing mattered to me more than that moment. He apologized; I had forgiven him. I needed him to know the impact he had on my life. We used the next few months to talk through our situation, creating new memories, and strengthening our bond.
Time may not have healed all wounds, but it certainly broke down the proverbial walls. I think when I accepted my father as a human and the error of his ways as a character flaw, the more I began to accept this as our normal. This made space for my healing, from childhood trauma to dealing with daddy issues within my relationships. Believe it or not, I didn’t know that I had any issues until I started dating and saw the effects of my actions.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION