takeupthecall

  Papa, As you are slowly slipping away from all of us, I find myself wanting to tell you something you fixed in me. Initially, I felt awkward calling someone else “Papa.” It was a word that carried so much history and emotion for me. But with you, that awkwardness faded quietly. You never asked for the title, never demanded the closeness. You simply earned it through your kindness, your warmth, and the way you made me feel accepted. With you, I never had to rehearse affection or measure my words. It never felt like I was trying to be a good daughter-in-law. It simply became easy to be myself around you. We used to talk so much—about parenting, about life, about the small eve ofryday struggles and the bigger questions that come with growing older. Those conversations never felt like lessons, yet I always walked away with something valuable. You listened with patience, spoke with kindness, and somehow made things feel lighter. And somewhere along the way, the hesitation I once had i...