Atlantic Ave June 2023

My parents came up with an interesting new proposal: leave our
home country and move across the pond to the United States of
America. I was beyond excited at the prospect! As soon as my
dad knew the rest of us were on board with the new venture he
did everything in his power to make the move happen. In order
to support us when we arrived in America my dad threw himself
into jobs he had no prior experience in, and learned how to
be the best he possibly could at them. After twelve months he
finally landed his dream job and he loved it. My dad always told
me that if I found a job I really enjoyed then it was no longer considered
a job. And he proved it! He worked tirelessly to ensure
the security of his family.
My greatest failing is probably my lack of work ethic but that
certainly does not come from my dad. If anything, watching how
he works day after day, and all of it for the betterment of his
family, is something that has profoundly affected me. It’s a kind
of altruism that seems so apparent in dads. Their willingness to
sacrifice their own needs for those of their children. My dad, his
love strong enough to carry a family across the world and begin
a new life in a new country.
The other story that has truly changed my life begins when I
was a kid. I was a nerd, and there’s no other way for me to put it!
People would only ever see me with my head buried in a book.
It’s not a bad thing to read, but sometimes it’s important to focus
on the world around you and not just the world playing out
across the pages of a book.
My dad introduced me to football, or soccer as they call it
stateside, and my perspective on everything changed. It started
with my dad buying me a soccer video game. I’d never played
the sport before and this was my first experience of what would
soon become a huge part of my life. I started watching soccer
games on a Saturday morning with Dad and we would talk and
debate non-stop about the games, players, managers and strategies.
Before I knew it, I was signed up to play goalkeeper for a
local team. Regardless of the weather I could always rely on dad
sitting in the stands cheering me on. In fact, usually at halftime
when the coach was giving the rest of the team advice, I’d run
over to my dad and ask him instead. It wasn’t out of disrespect
to the coach, but more in the knowledge that my dad knew more
than the coach did.
Playing on the team taught me leadership and communication
on a scale I had never before experienced and I can thank my
dad for that.
Without realizing it, over the years my dad has given me his
wisdom, his experiences, shown me leadership, work ethic and
most importantly he has always shown me love.
My dad may have his flaws, as all dads do, but I wouldn’t
change him for the world!
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www.AtlanticAveMagazine.com | june 2023 | 93