For Papa

Older Mexican men tug at my heart strings. I don't know why but Mexican men in freshly pressed jeans, flannel shirts, and cowboy hats make me a little weepy. It could be because they remind me of one of my two favorite men in the world, my Papa Villa. I miss him.

To me, my Papa has always been a symbol of strength, hard work, and pride. He had dark leathered skin, calloused hands, and a passion for telling stories. His dark skin was dark from the Arizona sun that he spent 60 years working beneath, his calloused hands were from picking crops, hauling hay, and raising his own animals and vegetables, and his stories came from a long life lived in a very different time.

With only a 7th grade education, he sure did love to teach what he knew. He taught me how to garden, the importance of an education, the value of hard work, and the power of thinking for yourself. I know that he wasn't a saint, but to me he is a hero. He may not have shown his love for his family through words of affirmation or gifts but he worked hard for many years to provide for them and what they needed. He may not have been quick to humor or sentiment, but he read to me when I was little and told me stories when I got older and I always knew that he loved me.

The stories we tell from my Dad's childhood that make us roll on the floor laughing usually involve my Papa's "I don't give a damn" attitude. Countless stories of junky cars, escaping livestock, and life on a farm would never make my Papa even blink an eye in embarrassment because to him that was life and well, he didn't give a damn. To him those stories didn't mean much but to us, to his family, they mean the world. They are a narrative to his legacy.

His legacy is one that lives inside his children and grandchildren's hearts, that makes us laugh when we see a car dealership, the dog races, or a junky car. That makes us smile when we see a Red Lobster, when someone says shit, or blames something on "the man". That makes us work harder even if we feel tired or run down, that doesn't let us quit... That lets us know that nothing is ever impossible, even if he didn't believe it, his story tells it. Thanks Papa.

LOVE YOU & MISS YOU PAPA