Moment of Appreciation

Eye realized why my granddad was in my life. We think that parent figures are in our life to raise us, take care of us, and/or make sure we get on the righteous path. But it's not until later in life we reflect on the past and wonder where we went wrong or right. My granddad taught me many of things, he taught me how to drive, how to be a man, but the most important thing he taught me was how to navigate through life as a child without a mother.

We usually see children grow up without their father, but for me and my granddad we both grew up with our dad in the picture. Our dads did the best they could with what they had. Tho for me being raised with "tough love" steered me in a direction that had me second guessing doing things that might land me on the bad end of the belt; eye really needed that motherly love that was absent. Eye am who eye am thanks to my dad for providing me with a childhood that eye would not trade, my granny for the nurturing side of life, and of course my granddad for the part he played.

My granddad taught me how not to be bitter towards women because my mom wasn't in the picture. He didn't write an instruction booklet, but it was through his lectures on how his dad did an awesome job raising 5 children as a single father back in the 1920s that showed me how my granddad wasn't upset, bitter, or had no resentment towards his mom. And eye needed to have that same energy towards my mom if eye didn't wanna be the angry black guy who hates women. If it wasn't for my granddad eye don't know what my attitude would be towards women. Because she wasn't there for whatever reason eye promised myself that if eye had children eye would always be a part of their life. And that is what is happening. Eye wanna say eye love you granddad and thanks for all you have taught me while you were here. Especially the being a man part.