The State
of Solitude
by Hadley Horton,12
I try to keep my father’s lessons wherever I go. Carrying around his wisdom and his smile. He accomplished great things and changed many lives. One of the main goals of my life is to live up to his legacy. No matter what I go through or how many wins and losses my family takes home, we carry his class and humbleness.
The fact of never seeing someone that you love, that was a part of your life every day, never again is the definition of hardship. Now, every memory my family makes is cherished into my rhythmic heart.
I try to grasp everything that’s happening. You have to remember the exhilarating times more than anything. Whenever I go in for a warm, comforting hug, I pause. I get transported, everything stops, and I remember. Taking in a deep breath, the fragrance that is swiftly rippling through the air runs down my cool back. I feel protected by my father. He is an angel, with his burly arms spread above us, watching our every move with his bold blue eyes. His ocean eyes, full of life yet so uncertain, remembered every hug.
The constant roller coaster of emotions, the waist-high mud, the bitter memories, and the nightmares have taught me a great depth of life. They have opened me up, and let me love.