This year, in honor of Father’s Day, we focus our Wednesdays for Women posts on sharing two perspectives of fatherhood. The first last week was from a Blue Yonder dad raising two girls. The second this week is written by a Blue Yonder daughter. Carla Garcia pens this touching tribute in honor of Father’s Day after losing her father recently. For anyone that has lost a loved one, whether a father, father figure, parent, grandparent or beyond, having a way to remember them and what impact they had on your life is a way to commemorate and honor their lives.

Having to look at you knowing that it was the last time I would see you was the most painful thing to ever happened to me because it meant that my father – who I call my superhero – will use his cape to fly away from me.

Since you left, several things have changed in the house. Now, I look more at the sky where you probably are because you had to move to a brighter place; from there, you can still take care of me as you always did.

This Father’s Day, I want to take the time to remember the things my father and I shared:

  • My father loved music, especially ABBA, Frank Sinatra, and the Bee Gees. He always said that if he closed his eyes, he could remember his youthful days, the dances, and his friends. He taught me that with music you can time travel. It has been a little difficult for me to listen to music, especially his music, since each melody reminds me of his face and smile.
  • He taught me how to walk, and I taught him how to run. He had always liked to run, but he had never signed up for races until I convinced him, and that always united us. I will always remember seeing him among the people cheering me on until I reached the finish line. Now, I think that he is running alongside me when I go on my daily run.  
  • He turned me into a dreamer and crazy enough to believe that “anything can be done,” if you have sufficient guts to do it.
  • He taught me that what makes us richer are the people around us, especially our family, and enjoying life´s little pleasures.

I appreciate that COVID-19 allowed me the time to tell him how important he was to me and that he was my hero. He made me feel safe and protected; I always had the reassuring feeling that nothing bad would ever happen to me. I never thought the time would come when I would shake his hand for the last time, and I would caress him to say goodbye.

My superhero has flown away from me and his hand is no longer tangled with mine. I feel capricious and somewhat selfish not wanting to let him go because part of me left that same moment when he closed his eyes and unfolded his cape. But for now, I will continue my own race, though he reached the finish line before me. I know he will be cheering me on from the sidelines and will wait for me there.

I love you, dad. Happy Father’s Day.