Stay With Me, Daddy !!better!! -

It is no longer about fear of the dark or teenage rebellion. Now, it is the sharp intake of breath when you notice his hands shake while pouring coffee. It is the counting of gray hairs that seem to have multiplied since last Thanksgiving. It is the way you linger a little longer in the driveway after Sunday dinner, inventing reasons to stay— "Do you need the gutters cleaned?" "Did Mom tell you about the leaky faucet?"

When you are sixteen, "Stay with me, Daddy" is silent. It is the grunt you give when he asks to drop you off three blocks from the movie theater. It is the roll of the eyes when he sets a curfew. Ironically, it is also the silent sigh of relief you feel when you see his headlights still waiting in the driveway, ensuring you get inside safely. stay with me, daddy

We don't talk enough about the role reversal. Society tells us that fathers are the protectors, the immovable mountains. But what happens when the mountain starts to erode? It is no longer about fear of the dark or teenage rebellion

Stay with him. Not because you need a protector anymore. But because he needs to know that the best thing he ever did is still right here, holding his hand. It is the way you linger a little

So, if you are lucky enough to still be able to pick up the phone and hear his gruff "Hello," do it. If you are lucky enough to hug him, don't do that quick, pat-on-the-back hug. Hold on for one second longer.

When you are thirty, "Stay with me, Daddy" changes shape again.