In this photo, my aunt, cousin, and I are pictured with my dad during a visitation. I've shared this information before, and I am sharing it again...
Prompted by Ava Duvernay's documentary, 13th, I decided to research my dad's criminal history. I purchased the $3.32 public record criminal record which revealed two arrests. He was arrested on March 14, 1990 for failure to identify, a misdemeanor. His second arrest occurred on August 7, 1990. It was Burglary of a Habitation, a felony offense. My dad, 19 years old at the time, was sentenced to 35 years for this crime.
Today, I believe that the topics explored in the documentary played a factor my dad's case, particularly his sentencing. I can only imagine how different my life would be if I didn't have the experiences I have with my dad. 35 years is a long time.
My dad has a career; he works hard. He is a present, loving father who looks forward to being an overbearing, doting grandfather. (He doesn't know what subtle is, so his hints are not hints at all.) He's his own special brand of serious and funny. He's passionate, boisterous, and a combination of other things that make him "Papa Lee." Although he and I missed nine or ten years together, I'm grateful for the sixteen to seventeen years that he's been home.
Scroll through my posts, and you'll be able to gather that I learn so much from my dad. He's one of my favorite people, and my life is richer because he's in it. It's unfortunate that prison is a part of our father-daughter narrative, but it is. It doesn't have to be a part of your narrative with your children.
