Michael Bivins: The Difference Between Being A Father And A Daddy
When I think of Father’s Day and all the memories as a child, the part that sticks out the most, is that my father was always gone working and representing the country in the Navy and my mother, Shirley, held things down at the crib.
They never married. We lived in Orchard Park Projects in the city of Boston at 32 Bataan Court, Apartment 159. There were a lot of single families that lived in our building. The month of June was always exciting because it meant school was almost over. Father’s Day as a holiday didn’t hold that much weight or anticipation.
When my father would visit my sister Tanya and I, we always went to Kentucky Fried Chicken on American Legion Highway and I always got a take out box and I would wait until I got back to my projects to let my friends see my bag and smell my chicken, haaaa! I was funny like that.
Gerard, my pops, didn’t live with us. So after we chilled for a few, he would slide us some money for our pockets and then go on about his business. Still, to this day, we still chill and receive cards with money inside. We are a lot alike in our body frames, our noses and lips and our love for sports. Now I accept that I’m short because of him. It was hard at first, but I said I might be small, but I know how to ball on that basketball court. I’m the smallest in New Edition and BBD. (haaa, whateva!)
To me there is a difference between a father and daddy. When I married my wife, Teasha, I knew that now that I had my own family and three beautiful little girls, I was gonna make time to raise them and help them understand who they are and not who I wanted them to be. Savannah, 7, Shilah,6 and Starlah, 2, aka the Lil’ Supremes, call me Daddy.
This is my perspective on daddies and fathers! Your kids call you Daddy because of the time you spend with them and the love you share with words and moments in the same house. Fathers sometimes don’t live in the house and come around every now and again. When some kids introduce their dads, they say ‘That’s my father.’ My kids say ‘Thats my daddy.’
Michael Bivins: The Difference Between Being A Father And A Daddy was originally published on ioneblackamericaweb.staging.go.ione.nyc
