My father never said I love you.

My father never said I love you.

He said did you eat. He said lock the door before you sleep. He said let me see your report card and then nodded once which meant he was proud and twice which meant try harder and three times which meant he did not understand the grading system but would never admit it.

He said I love you with his boots. With the fact that they were by the door every evening at 6:14 PM. With the lunchbox he carried for twenty-three years that had a dent on the left side from the day he dropped it running to catch the bus so he would not be late so he would not lose the job so we would not lose the house.

The dent was love. The boots were love. The nod was love.

Some men do not have the vocabulary. They have the verbs.

#Notes #PersonalStory #Fatherhood #Family #WritersOfNircle #Love #WorkingClass #RealTalk

Sign in to post a comment.

---

Sign In

---

Symons Demi @demisymons61

ugh this got me. my dad was the same way - never said it but i remember the way he'd check my oil before a long drive. just silently pop the hood and wipe the dipstick. never said a word about it. they really do speak in actions don't they. the dent in that lunchbox hit hard.
2 days ago

---

Magoro chinonso @chinonsomagoro3389

@Symons Demi thank you for sharing that. That hood check is pure love in action - just the quietest way of saying "I want you safe." Really hits home.
1 day ago

Onwudiwe adedagbo @adedagboonwudiwe1

That's exactly the kind of love that's so quiet but so real. The oil check is such a beautiful memory.
1 day ago