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Lizzani Mai ♦
“Dad” is not a title that should be given to just anyone, only those who deserve it. Many are not blessed with a dad, but I thank God every day that I have an amazing dad. My grandfather was not the most fun or loving parent to my dad Teddy Mai. He was a strict, serious father most of the time. However, my dad decided he was not going to be that kind of father to me and my siblings.
Among the four of us, each has a different relationship with Dad. For instance, my brother Teddy Jr. who is the third child has somewhat of a closer relationship with Dad than my youngest brother. Both have a good relationship with Dad, but Teddy is just closer to him because when he was a baby, he used to get sick a lot. Dad used to take care of Teddy when he couldn’t sleep so Mom could have her rest. Even when he had to go to work, as early as 4 a.m. sometimes, he would stay up almost all night making sure my brother was taken care of. I remember this one time when Teddy couldn’t sleep and my dad took him in his arms, singing and swaying with him for about 4 hours straight until Teddy finally fell asleep. He also did that with the rest of us, but mostly with Teddy.
Dad and Teddy (Photo by Lizzani Mai) Dad and I (Photo by Thelma Mai)
Everyone knows my dad as a fun guy. He can say the most hilarious jokes ever, and when we were little he often played with us as a way to bond with us. There were many instances when we ended up breaking ornaments in the house. The area where we live in San Antonio Village, Cayo, is hilly, so there is barely any flat ground to play football. Thus, we resorted to playing football inside the house, causing several items like clocks, mirrors, and ornaments to break. Mom, Thelma Mai, would give us a long lecture. Even Dad got himself in trouble. He would laugh it off and do it again the next day. In the end, Mom opted to stop buying clocks. If it wasn’t soccer, it was hopscotch we’d play inside the house, or hula-hoop, which even Mom sometimes joined in.
Photo by Thelma Mai
My all-time favorite, even now, is when dad plays his guitar and we all accompany him singing. Even when he is worn out from work, he makes sure to do this little sort of routine with us. Even though we can’t sing, we try our best and have a lot of fun. Sometimes he plays hymns and nursery songs that we used to like, and sometimes we even invent our own nonsensical songs. We are a bunch of people with creative minds, and it’s a usual thing for us to make up songs about little things, just simply singing about our routines while brushing our teeth, bathing or even eating.
Photo by Thelma Mai
Photo by Thelma Mai
Dad also watches movies with us. He would be very opinionated about the actors’ acting or the awesomeness of the stunts, or he would make jokes about the funny parts of the movies. He even watched Disney princess movies and cartoons with us without complaining. And oh! When watching soccer games like the World Cup and other major competitions, Dad and I would get so loud, like we're in the stadium. We’d shout at the players about their strategies as if we were the coach. My mom and siblings don’t bother with football, so it’s “our thing,” so to speak.
Photo by Andrea Moh
Having a fun-loving, attentive dad impacts a child very positively. In many cases where the father is not attentive to the child, he or she is likely to rebel as a way to get the dad’s attention. However, if the dad pays enough attention to the child and he or she feels loved, the child is less prone to rebel. There are good fathers, bad fathers, and okay fathers. The main difference is that good fathers provide not only material necessities but also give their children their very necessary attention. ♦
Lizzani Mai is a mathematics major at the University of Belize. She loves to read and listen to music.