As I ran to keep up with Pop-Pop’s long stride, my excitement overcame the exhaustion of my little legs. He grasped my tiny hand to keep me focused on our journey rather than the passing butterfly. Finally, he coaxed me with a smile, saying, “Come on, we’re almost there.”
When I saw the creek, my three-year-old worries washed away like its cool dancing currents. It was like venturing to Oz, Neverland, or countless other enchanting worlds. Little did I know that this creek’s magic would reappear for many of my life’s most influential moments.
The early conversations between Pop-Pop and me at the creek’s edge covered lessons on everything from clouds and crawfish. I would toss him questions as I would throw pebbles into the ripples. He would respond to each irrespective of whether all the facts were accurate.
The walks became easier as my legs grew, and our conversations became more engaging. At eight years old, I listened to Pop-Pop retell stories of distant literary lands like Hogwarts and Narnia. Conversely, he listened to my imagined tales of dragons and warriors.
As the first audience to my storytelling, Pop-Pop encouraged my love of reading and writing as I began flipping through the pages of countless novels and penning my own tales. These moments together cultivated my desire to create worlds where readers could get lost.
At 13 years old, you’d think my interest in walking to the creek with Pop-Pop would have long washed away. Actually, it was a time for me to share my plots and characters while he shared the trials he faced as a kid. As I listened to his tales of growing up in poverty as one of seven children in inner-city Philadelphia, my long-time traveling sidekick was evolving into my greatest hero. Despite his early hardships, Pop-Pop always wrapped his despondent tales in humor, like when he returned home from school at 10, only to find his family had moved a block away - but forgot to tell him.
At 15, I learned about his Air Force enlistment, where he built radar systems. He transformed these skills into a 30-year computer career. These conversations intrigued me to take every high school computer science course available. This cultivated a passion for technical problem-solving that, no doubt, originated from him and has motivated me to continue these studies in college.
Today, our creek trips are less frequent because of nagging back pain and a hip replacement. Regardless, I deeply enjoy our time at the water’s edge, where conversations now revolve around dreams and the future. When I think about this place, it amazes me how these creek chats have developed my values, passions, and goals.
I am grateful for Pop-Pop’s inspiration and adore his influence on my life. I cherish that this creek has been the setting for so many milestone moments. Our journey there takes longer now, but I don’t mind the extra time as I coax with a smile, saying, “Come on, we’re almost there.”
Anthony Andrew Tutino, a full blooded and strong hearted Italian, is my father figure.
My father (as we call him Tony) has many attributes that make him special. But there is one that stands out the most, and that has passed on to me and my 8 older siblings. His love for all things family.
As clingy as it may sound, my father taught me that when you have lost all, you are never alone. There will always be family there for you. As a young girl going into her last year of high school, I have had my up and downs when it comes to friendships. My father has taught me to always keep those I love close to me. And when someone is rude, to always stay humble and kind, no matter what. Close friends are equal to family, because they will be there for you in a matter of need. It doesn’t matter the situation, they will be there for you. And throughout learning all of this, I have learned that my father has put this quality into my everyday life. I watch my father do many small acts of kindness in his everyday life, but when it comes to his family and friends, that is all that matters to him. Every holiday my house is packed with blood relatives and those close to my family and father. A gift for everyone around Christmas, and a cake for every birthday. All supplied by my father. And when someone fails or disappoints, it doesn’t take anytime for my father to embrace them and lead them into healing with the words “if you never bleed you are never going to grow”. All right before he lightens the mood with a “but don’t let it happen again” followed by a light smack on the back. Things like that have taught me to persevere through hard times, because I know my father will always be there for me, through the good and bad. He hold me accountable but always reminds me of my worth because as he says “I am family”. But as the years go on, I have come to realize that my father treats everyone as if they are family. With a gentle love and soft words of encouragement. Family, friends, strangers, I truly believe they all hold the same spot in my fathers wholesome heart. And the same for me. As my father once said, “family doesn’t end in blood, and it doesn’t start there either.”
