Lettera a mio padre assente

Caro papà,

I just wanted to say hey, and that I’m doing fine. I’m quite the young lady now. When you left us I was that teen no parent would want around their kids.

And just imagine, I only had my mom to take care of me. I went out, stuck out, drank, smoked and even tended to be sexually involved with boys I’d talk to.

I changed from the sweet little girl who was always wanting to help her dad skin a deer, or wash the car, even to wanting to help cut grass and run the tractor, to a mommy’s and daddy’s worst nightmare.

Ti ho cercato in altri uomini, perché avevo nostalgia dell'uomo che mi aveva abbandonato tanti anni fa.

I know now that every time you left or tried to come back but just vanished, it was not my fault. I know now that you had issues with yourself and that is the reason why you couldn’t be a proud parent and stay around with my mom.

Dad, I want you to know that the nightmare teenager I was is gone now. I’m 21 now and I have finally stopped searching for the man who would just fill in the space you left in my heart.

Instead I searched for someone to fill me and make me the happiest girl alive. I am now engaged and I can’t describe how well he treats me.

I never saw you do the things for my mom that he does for me. I have never seen this kind of love. You never showed my mom this kind of love so I didn’t know what to go out looking for until someone finally showed me.

Qualcuno mi ha finalmente mostrato come dovrebbe essere una famiglia. Perché non me l'avete mai mostrato quando sono cresciuta con mia madre.

Quindi, papà, credo che da quella ragazzina problematica di 12, quasi 13 anni, io sia uscita piuttosto bene. Credo che mia madre abbia cresciuto una brava ragazza con un piccolo lato oscuro nel suo passato.

I think my mom did well for providing for herself and me. I would not have gotten anything done without her standing by my side telling me it wasn’t my fault, that you’d miss me one day.

And that I was a good girl, I just needed to prove to you that you hadn’t hurt me as you thought you did.

Best wishes to you old man, because I could never wish any harm on the man who helped make me. I’m just thankful that you left when you did, as you made me the woman I am today!

Sua figlia.

di Jodi Lynn Strickland