Being Your Daughter

Being Your Daughter Means…

I can spot when someone is cheating at cards

because of the countless ways your eyes would shift to my hand

how bold your lies are in Gin Rummy and no where else.

You will always quietly kick my tires or check my oil when I’m not looking

Because, even though I am fully capable,

My safety is a reflex that you cannot ignore.

Being You Daughter means…

I can come to you with any sadness

And like the sun burning away the early morning fog

You can make my day seem so much clearer.

We can share a simple meal, a cup of tea, a quiet moment

And neither one us needs to utter a word

To hold an entire conversation.

Being You Daughter means…

No matter how old I am, what I am doing, or where I am going

All I have to do is look pathetic enough and call you “Daddy”

and immediately soften your anger.

My entire life is measured in your footsteps

Those that walked before me, clearing the way

So that I could appreciate the forest without ever feeling lost.

Being You Daughter means…

Every memory, every bruised knee, every burst of laughter

is colored by the way you made me feel about myself

and the whole world around me.

I can still feel you holding my whole body upside down,

letting me walk on the ceiling, squealing with laughter and trust

Because you have never let me fall.

Happy Father’s Day, You old card cheater!