by Jose, Santa Clara
My dad is my hero. I’ve always had a good relationship with my dad. My dad was always there for me. He never let me down. He would work from 5am to 10pm at night everyday. Even though he worked late shifts, he still came home and showed me that love.
There was always food on the table. He worked hard as a truck driver and as a construction worker. When I was four he was deported to Mexico. A year later, he came back. In that year that he was gone, we lost our house. Before he was deported my dad and his sister used to split the mortgage, but when he was sent to Mexico we lost the house. I was five or six years old at the time and we had to sleep in cars. I was too young to understand what was really going on.
Even though I am locked up for some crazy things, my dad doesn’t look at me any different. He keeps it real. He always tells me what he feels. At first, we didn’t have that bond, but he would always be there no matter what. He did the best he could and he always tried. I always saw him give his effort.
To keep it real, he taught me respect, and taught me how to trust, but I still had to find out on my own. I had to learn on my own how to be a man. If I were to have my own family I would use some of the same values my dad showed me growing up.
My mom has also been very supportive of me. She hasn’t let me down. Before I was even born, my mom had other kids. My grandma would take care of my other siblings. My mom never got to know her other kids as well as she got to know me because I was always with her. I love both of my parents, but I can honestly say that my Dad has been my hero.