Over the years, I have really come to understand my dad. When I was a child, I didn’t understand why he would say things like, “no,” or “it’s for your own good.” Although those are things I didn’t like to hear, it has helped me know that it’s OK not to give in to every request from a child. My dad would always say, “I will get you everything you need and some of what you want,” and he did just that. He stayed consistent. To me, that’s one of the best values you can instill in a child. I could tell you about all the times that my dad has been consistent but I don’t have the space for my life story. All that really matters is that it showed me that he would do all that he could to provide for me—although it may have taken until I had children of my own to fully realize this.
You see, there are so many things that come with being consistent. My dad also taught me the meaning of consequence. I knew that before every choice I made—whether it was good or bad—that it had a consequence. And for those who know my dad...he finds a way to make you think about your actions. For example, I can remember getting grounded from the telephone for a year. At 13, that was torture. After that, I knew my dad wasn’t going to play games in the future. But that did not stop me from trying him from time to time. As I got older, the stakes got higher and more serious. Like the time that he disabled my car for not making good grades in school. I know that it may seem like I’m telling you how mean my dad is and at the time I thought that he really had it in for me. I know he kind of did. He did not pay much attention to trying to be my best friend—he knew that would come with time. He stayed true to being my dad and molding me into a productive adult. I know that it was not easy to raise a daughter—I have three of my own now. I cannot seem to shake the feeling that my day is coming. I do not know if words can describe how much pride I have when it comes to knowing that I have a daddy that passed on his parenting skills to me. And at the same time instilled in me that even though I may have made bad choices before, I’ve started getting them right. There is no doubt in my mind that he’s always there for me to keep me safe and that he’ll always love me unconditionally. So, here’s to you, Dad. You are truly the best friend that I have. I love you.
Roxanne Shaw-Brown, proud daughter of Rocky Shaw
