(Photo: Tayvion Jackson )
I grew up without my dad. being raised just by my mom felt normal. but there were often times where I wish I had a male role model.
My father lives in another state. We only talk once in a blue moon. When Father’s Day comes along, my phone call to my dad feels like a chore. Our conversations are three minutes or less. Things are awkward with him.
I’ve come to terms with my dad’s absence but there have been situations where having my dad around would have made things easier.
Like dating. In middle school, I felt uncomfortable asking my mom for advice on relationships or how to dress. Those were moments where it would have been nice to have a father figure around.
That’s where my mom stepped In. She broke the ice — and initiated these uncomfortable conversations about how to be a man.
I began to see that often my mom filled the absence left by my dad. She became my role model and the person I confide in. So this Father’s Day, I’m celebrating my mom. She was such a great single parent that having a dad stopped feeling like a necessity.