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Ismenia Villanueva

Dr. Gibney

English 101

26 February 2021

Two Dads in One

Why is it that it takes losing something for us to realize how good we had it

before? I was fortunate to have the most adventurous dad any kid could wish for, one

who played with me every chance he could as I grew up, one who loves me so much that

he is not afraid to call me his favorite in front of my siblings, and the one who till this day

I see as my superhero. Except the hero who once had every power is now limited

thanks to Multiple Sclerosis.

There was an endless amount of energy that my dad always carried day and night,

never did he pass an offer to build mud castles in our backyard with my brothers and I, even

though we would end up covered in dirt from head to toe. He was the hardest working man in

my eyes, he worked long days under the hot Arizona sun building one cookie cutter home after

another, long nights sorting produce in a warehouse, and there was rarely a weekend where he

did not have a side job to get done. Dad was always the first one to step foot on the dance floor

at any party, moving swiftly on his feet and transitioning effortlessly in between songs to every

style of dance. For about a decade he was every kid in our community's favorite baseball coach

who never missed a practice or game and always showed up with a smile that stretched from

ear to ear. Not only was he a coach to all the boys but was also their friend. Even after ten years

have passed those boys who are now men wave him down and walk up to him calling him
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coach when they see him in public. He was someone who never took anything too serious and

made everyday fun even at our most struggling times. Not once did I see his smile fade away,

he was so full of joy and laughter at every moment that he now has the deepest smile lines you

could imagine.

His long days of work dwindled into half days and eventually to no work at all in the span

of a few years. Slowly lost mobility on his left leg , walking with a limp and cane became the new

norm on even the best of days. Along the line he also lost the desire and ability to dance all

night. He said goodbye to coaching and hello to long days on the couch binge watching one

netflix show after another. A man who was once incredibly active, healthy, and independent

became forced to rely on medication and his family, a nightmare come true for a macho

mexican man. Days that would have been filled with laughter and fun became days of feeling

resentful and hopeless in life. Often depression strikes and he wishes to leave to his birth

country so as to not burden us any longer, followed by making it difficult to hold a conversation

with him because of the anger he holds towards the world.

Such an unfortunate change in life brought along some valuable lessons that all of my

family and I are constantly reminded of. We have unconditionally loved my father through the

highs and lows but had to learn to show that love in a different way. I have had to let go of the

once always cheerful man but have gained a much bigger understanding of what truly being

there for someone meant. In my case, encouraging continuing medication even if he felt it did

not help and managing medical bills and appointments. Most importantly keeping calm through

the rants about wanting to give up and providing endless reassurance and positivity. I have

gained awareness of a disease I had never heard of and have learned to patiently be there for

someone who suffers from it. Mainly it has taught me to not take anything for granted no matter

how small it may be. I have also come to the understanding that life is too short to dwell on

things that cannot be changed so we might as well make the best of every situation.
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Authors Note

When I first read the requirement of the essay needing to be a description of one place

or person in two ways I instantly thought about my dad. I have previously thought about how the

person he is today is not the person who raised me in a weird way. Even though they talk the

same and look the same, the person he is now is completely different. Either way fortunate to

have been raised by the man he was and fortunate to be taught important life lessons by the

man he is now.