When I was young and laying in my bunkbed with my sister my dad would always tell us a story. She would ask for three things, like a bear, a table in Australia. Then she would weave a tapestry of a story around these three things. We loved it.
Every once in a while she would tell us that we loved her now but soon we would grow up and think she was no fun anymore and we would be teenagers. I remember swearing I would not be a teenager and would always love her.
Of course I did become a teenager, but I didn’t stop loving her. In fact I was unique at school because I liked my parents. I even came to them on relationship advice and any growing up weirdness.
I still go to my parents for advice. Once Andrew and I talk through something a lot of times we go to my parents to get their intake.
Recently Andrew & I went to Seattle for PodCon and there they had a scavenger hunt. The idea is to go around and do things to earn stickers which gets you into drawings. One thing was to record what you are most proud of. I said my dad, how proud I am that she has come out and that she is actively helping the LGBTQIA community. I also told my idols the Smirl sisters (who run the podcast Still Buffering, check it out) and they were very impressed.
More than being a very impressive person that I am proud of, my dad is closer to my best friend than a dad. She is my go to for many problems. Being bi-polar has been a hard thing for my family, especially in the early years. My dad was one of the only ones (and the only one for a while) that could talk me down off the edge.
She always says she will stop everything to help me. Drive me to the hospital, go to therapy with me or simply getting our nails done. She says I am the most important thing always. I even have a special ring tone so she doesn’t ignore me.
In short she is my support system, my role model and my friend. So to my past Dad, yes I will grow up but no I will never stop loving you.