佚名/Anonymous
MyfatherstilllooksremarkablylikeIrememberhimwhenIwasgrowingup:hairfull, bodytrim, facetanned, ', andIwonderedwhichofushadchanged.
MysonMatthewandIhadflowntoArizonaforavisit, andhis67-year-oldgrandfatherwastuninguphisguitartoplayfortheboy.“Youknow‘Oh, GiveMeaHomeWheretheBuffaloRoam'？”myfatherasked.
Allthewhile, four-year-oldMatthewwasbouncingonthecouch, furtivelystrummingtheguitarhewasn'tsupposedtotouchandtalkingincessantly.
WhenIwasaboy, myfatherwasn', andatnighthedispensedpunishment, thoughrarelybeyondathreateningvoiceorascoldingfinger.
Despiteourfathersonstruggles, Ineverdoubtedmyfather'slove, -heandIonthecouchwatchingTVtogether, walkingagravelroadinCrete, Ill.，atdusk, ridinghomeinacar, singing“RedRiverValley.”
Hehadthiswayofsmilingatme, thiswayoftossingabackhandedcompliment, , , “Iloveyou”bytellinghimhisnosewastoobigorhistiestoougly.
“It'snotwhatamansays, butwhathedoesthatcounts.”, heprotectedme, hetaughtmerightfromwrong, .
ItwasonlyafterhavingaboyofmyownthatIbegantothinkalotabouttherelationshipbetweenfathersandsonsandtosee-andtounderstand-myownfatherwithremarkableclarity.
Ifthereisauniversalcomplaintfrommenabouttheirfathers, 'shouse, adangerousjobwhenit'sdry, , butIneversawthehumor.
OnlynowthatI'vestruggledtofindpatienceinmyselfwhenMatthewinsistshehelpmepaintthehouseorsawdowndeadtreesinthebackyardamIabletoseethatdaythroughmyfather''dhaveguessedI'dbeangrywithmyfatherfor30years, untilIrelivedsimilarexperienceswithmyownson, who, Isuppose, isangrynowatme.
