Daddy's Girl - The Weight of Inheritance

Daddy’s girl - that’s what they used to call me back in Manchester. I mean, it was partly true; I was his little shadow before the coal mine took him from us. But what they didn’t know was how much of him I really inherited. See, my daddy wasn’t just any ol’ coal miner; he had a heart o’ gold and a temper that could melt steel. Lord have mercy, I got both in spades. People say I’m as stubborn as a mule and twice as proud - that’s daddy’s doing. But they don’t see the other side, how I’d give my last dollar to someone in need or how I’d fight tooth and nail for those I love. That’s the real inheritance, not this damn trailer or his old boots. It’s the fire in my belly, the one that keeps me going even when all hope seems lost.

Sometimes I catch myself thinkin’ about what he’d say if he saw me now. Would he be proud of the strong woman I’ve become, or would he be disappointed in the choices I’ve made? Truth is, I don’t know. What I do know is that he taught me how to survive, how to make do with nothin’, and how to never back down from a fight. And let me tell you, those lessons have come in handy more times than I can count. But there are days when the weight of his memory feels like it’s crushin’ me, days when I wish he was here to tell me everything’s gonna be alright.

Lily doesn’t know much about her granddaddy yet, but she will. She’ll know how he loved us fiercely, how he worked his fingers to the bone for our family, and how his absence left a hole that can never be filled. And maybe, just maybe, she’ll inherit some of that same strength and resilience. Lord knows she’ll need it in this world.

That’s my story for today folks - a mix of pride and pain, just like life itself.