Daddy

"Bobby Joe"

Today 74 years ago my hero was born. Fathers if you have a daughter(s) y’all really need to be in their lives. I was so fortunate to have my daddy in my life. It wasn’t perfect but I don’t want to think of how it would have been without him. I was definitely daddy’s little girl and everyone knew it. I loved spending time with him. I look at me and my daughter relationship I think back to me and my daddy relationship. He always used to call me motor mouth. Now I know he wanted to watch his cowboy movie in peace. I just loved being with him that much. I remember him sitting on edge of the bed in his room with his Pabst Blue Ribbon beer and Wallace fat back skins and I was always under him on his left side. If ever I was outside playing and I saw him walking home, I’d always walk home with him. I remember being outside with while he cut grass. I always wanted to go everywhere he went. I hated when he’d be at Richard’s or Ms. Mill Anne or Bear Cooter or on Sixth Street but whenever he was home, I was always under him. We had an awesome bond. As I said before I know my momma had to be a lil jealous. As I got older I can say it was hard for him to see his little girl grow up. As I got older I put daddy on the back burner. Boys had my attention which is why I stress that fathers spend as much time with their daughters as possible. It’s your duty to teach her how a man is supposed to treat her. If you and her mom aren’t together she needs to know that a good solid relationship is something to strive for. She needs know that it’s not cool for her to settle for dude with two or three side chicks. She needs to know her worth. She needs to know not to tolerate lies and disrespect. She needs to know it’s not cool to juggle Tom, Harry, and Fred. She needs to know to respect herself because no one else will. I really didn’t know how much my mom and dad separation affected me until after I made the same ole mistakes ever good girl gone bad makes. I didn’t know that our leaving him created a void in my life. I always called it “looking for love in all the wrong places”. It was me being naïve and easily manipulated because I was trying to fill what was missing, my daddy’s love, his presence in my life was gone. Even though I could go find my daddy it was rare that I could talk to him because he always was drunk. That was a very hard time for him and I don’t blame him for not being available. My daddy suffered a lot. When he got sick and finely got sober, I was so busy caught up in my life that I didn’t spend enough time with him. I would go see him and sit with him and we’d watch a cowboy movie. I guess I just hate that I can’t do that no more. Those times just aren’t enough for me I want more of that. I miss him. I miss playing in his hair. I miss him making me laugh by being mean and talking trash to people. He didn’t care what he said. He was kind though. He wasn’t really in a position where he could help people but he never turned anyone away. I love my daddy. I miss him so much. Bobby Joe Samuel has given me the strength to be my own hero. I’m his daughter and I got this. Happy Birthday Daddy!!!!!