It was June 2022. I was casually sitting in my room playing FIFA 22. Then, I heard my mom call for my siblings and I to meet her in the living room.
I didn’t think much of it; after all, it wasn’t unusual for us to be called to the living room for any reason.
But my mom said something that made my heart sink to my stomach.
My dad just had a heart attack, and doctors were saying he might not pull through.
I immediately got myself ready, and we headed for the hospital.
From the time we left to the moment I got to see him lying in the hospital bed, I was in a state that words cannot describe.
All the memories I had with him started pouring back to me, and I started thinking about what life would look like if he didn’t make it.
Thankfully, he made it out of that hospital alive without any other issues.
As my time at Bradley comes to a close and I prepare to walk the stage, this experience is something that has been on my mind a lot.
Why? My dad has been possibly the most important person in my life.
He has always made sure I have everything I need, checked in to see how I was doing and has even taken time to spend time with me while on work trips in Peoria.
But biggest of all, he’s always reminded me of how proud I’ve made him.
Getting to hear someone tell me how proud they are of me is what motivates me to keep going and aim for bigger achievements.
This is also part of why I decided to pursue a master’s degree once my time at Bradley is done, and when I got accepted into graduate school, my dad was the first to hear about it.
To think that at one point he may not have been here to watch me grow into the man I am today is beyond me.
But in a way, it also makes the experience of having him there to see me walk the stage even more special.
To say I am thankful to have the dad I do and that he is still here with me is an understatement.
From the support he gave me when I was struggling mentally to the conversation we had about the Bayern vs PSG match on Tuesday, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
I could never thank him enough for everything he has done for me, and I hope to continue making him proud to call me his son.
