to my dad

I’ve had to find a new significance for my name. It’s not enough anymore to say it’s a reworking of yours.  I needed an independent meaning — a meaning to separate from you and all the marks you’ve left on my life.  Good and bad, beneficial and detrimental… it’s difficult to stay hard and fast to the truth when it involves distancing from someone you love.  So I decided to find a new truth, a new tie to the world beyond being your daughter.  It feels unfamiliar now; but it also helps.

I hope that you and your family are having a great day today.  I hope there are reasons to celebrate you for years to come.  I may not be present at those celebrations; but I appreciate the good things you brought into my life.

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