Meet Daddy Walter, bow tie enthusiast and the man who has taught me some of my greatest lessons in life.
Life is not about being right. It is about respect.
My father was always the peacemaker. If anyone in the family was upset with one another, we always went to him to vent. After I explained the situation, he would sympathize with my feelings. Then he would explain how the other person felt. In doing so, I was able to empathize with them and not take things as personal. He explained to me that it was not a matter of who was right but that people have feelings. You can respect their point of view even if you don’t understand or agree with them.
Growing up I used to think that my father was incredibly innocent. He never spoke an unkind word about someone. I hardly ever saw him angry, disappointed sure but rarely angry. He was never mean. He was never aggressive. He was never controlling. He was always giving, positive, understanding, and gentle.
It was not until I was older that I learned how naive I was. My mother told me stories about some of her and my father’s relationship struggles. She told me stories about people who had betrayed my father and tried to take advantage of him. I learned my father was not oblivious to the hardships of life.
By my father teaching me to respect and try to empathize with other people, he also taught me how not be jaded by life.
MY SPORTY OUTFIT
Everlast orange sports dress, thrift store
Max Barron Trufit leather camera bag, thrift store
Navajo old pawn jewelry, gift
dvso blue slip on shoes, ski shop in Portland
Photographer: Kelly Lynae Robinson
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