Corinne Soltis
After school, my dad would take Karen and I home. The three of us would go to my parents room and Karen and I would sit on the bed. My dad would always go to his dresser and empty the change from his suit pockets and sort them into red coin sorters that I think I bought for him during a book fair or "buy your parents a Christmas present" school sale. Then, as my dad exchanged his immaculate suit and clip-on tie for jeans and a tee-shirt, he'd ask us about our day at school. I loved the one on one time we had with dad. He listened more than he talked, gave good sometimes cryptic advice I should have taken more often, but mostly, as we sat on the bed sharing our stories of boring subjects, difficult school projects, and adolescent friend drama that felt overwhelming to a teenager, my dad would attentively listen, smoke a few Pall Mall Unfiltered cigarettes, and then help me figure out the right path forward. After we finished, which sometimes was 10 minutes, sometimes 2 hours, we'd go on with our day. I knew every second of every day of my life that my dad loved me, cared about me, was proud of me, and saw and heard me. I am so, so lucky to have had him as my father, teacher, sounding board, friend, and role model. While I will miss his thoughtful wisdom when I'm scared or confused, I will remember the lifetime of advice he gave me, lessons he taught me, and love he quietly showed me, and use that to help me make good decisions for the rest of my life. Thank you for these beautiful memories, Daddy, I will miss you, but you taught me well, and I'll be alright until I see you again. - Corinne Soltis 3/29/2024
