Growing up, I always heard people talk about how my daddy jumped
from job to job...but that’s because the only job I really remember him
ever having is truck driving. It’s the one thing he ever really enjoyed
doing. It’s the one thing he KNEW put food on our table and he could
meet our needs.
My mommy would be at home, missing him and because she cannot
drive (that’s a different story), she’d be at home. She was the one to
pay bills, get rides from family to go grocery shopping and to take
my brother and I to doctors appointments. She done so many things.
Daddy would be home every week to two weeks. Sometimes he’d be
home the whole weekend, but sometimes only a few hours. We
cherished those few hours or couple days. Even if we did spend it
cleaning the truck and making sure he has what he’ll need for
when he leaves out again.
When he does leave again, I would watch my mama kiss him goodbye
with tears in her eyes. I knew why she cried because I always missed
him to. With those days he was gone he missed family events and other
things. I’m sure to him he may feel bad about “missing” me and
my brothers childhoods. But to us, to me, he made our childhoods.
We still have memories with him and we cherish them. He made a
sacrifice with a job he enjoyed doing and he knew would provide
us with what we needed.
I wouldn’t change it. I wouldn’t ask him to either. I personally
think that it made us stronger as a family because it taught us to
cherish and embrace the moments we spend together and that’s
what’s important.
