Describe a man who has positively impacted your life.
If I had to pick one man who’s shaped me most, it would be my father. He was, after all, the first man in my life.
For many years, we butted heads like a couple of stubborn rams. I left home young, determined to show him I could survive—and thrive—without his ever-watchful eye. Life was hard, but I carved my own path, and somewhere along the way, I realized something: my father wasn’t the villain I’d painted him to be.
His love was intense—more Shakespearean tragedy than feel-good sitcom. He cared deeply, but his way of showing it often felt like he wanted to script my every move and stuff me in a box if I didn’t do as he said.
It took me years to understand that his “control” came from fear—fear of me falling, failing, or straying too far from what he thought was best.
In the end, though, proving I didn’t need him made me realize how much of him was already in me. His persistence, his resilience, his fire—all those traits I thought I had despite him, I actually got from him. Life’s funny like that.
So yes, my father positively impacted me, even if the road there wasn’t exactly smooth. He was my first teacher in the art of self defense and standing tall, even if it meant standing against him.
Words Have Power 