pICTURE OF aZTECA (whoops)
I came from a dysfunctional family in which my parents divorced when I was 14. My mother remarried a Pentecostal Preacher whom I will leave anonymous. To say that we didn't get along would be an understatement ... mostly my fault. What happened next should be left unsaid, but suffice to say that I left home at the age of 15. Lots I could say about those days, but not here ... not ever. Hard times on the streets; ... hard times.
My daughter is my first born. When she came into this world, her mother and I were sketchy, in truth, we would not have stayed together. I was young and unprepared to be married, hell, I had no idea how to be a husband, never met one. But then she was born, I was with her when she came into this world and when she took her first breath, I was overcome with love. She captured me with a smile and never released me.
Later on my wife and I had two sons and I love them as deeply as I love my girl ... but she is a GIRL! And though I never had any sisters to learn from, I understood that I needed to pay special attention to her. Yes, there is a special bond between a father and a daughter and it is different than the strong natural guy-thing bond which exists between a father and his sons ... very different. As they grew into early teens I sat my sons down and explained to them that I loved them, very much, but they needed to understand that I felt that I should give their sister the bulk of my attention. I explained that if girls don't get the attention they need from their father, they will seek that attention elsewhere, usually from an assortment of other male figures. I explained a lot of things to my boys that day and from then on, it was agreed upon, my daughter ruled the roost.
Here we are years later and even though my boys are grown and hugely successful, she still rules the family. Bossy little thing she is, lol. Well, if you look at the picture I drew of her you will notice that I captured a very precise look ... her, "You better watch out" look, lol.
Story: When I went to the Penitentiary in Florence, Colorado I was only there a few months before she flew up to visit me. Well ... a few days before she arrived I had been caught cooking Moon Shine and had been thrown into the Hole. So the weekend that she was to arrive, I asked my Councilor, explaining that I had not had a CONTACT visit, I had not hugged my daughter in the four years I was held in the various County Jails during my three trials. I explained that she was flying in from very far away, Texas, and I requested that instead of the normal Hole visits, which were conducted through glass and a hand-held phone, I be granted a full contact visit. He agreed and on the day of my visit I was taken from the Hole and dressed in normal Visitation clothes and escorted out to the visiting room were I had a long beautiful hug from my daughter along with several hours of wonderful, normal conversation. When we were about twenty minutes into our visit she asks, "What have you been up to?" That look! < caution> "Umm ... not much, why?" That look
That look. The only look that causes me to go weak in the knees and can make me confess every time... My sons laugh when they say, "The only person Pop is afraid of is her!" I must confess, it is true. She's tough, smart and she ain't nobodies fool. She is exactly the woman I raised her to be.
She sent me a "Thank You Dad" card, post marked, August 19th 2002. I treasure it. This what she wrote inside:
"Thank you for all the times that you were positive w/me and encouraging. I want to do the same for my kids because I think it made me confident and motivated. I love you. Happy Fathers Day. Love Azteca."
Yes, I know that it is now May of 2026 and that I have kept that card for 24 years ... Hic est enim sanguis meus!
#I love my daughter more than God. Mayor Mark
#fathers and daughters, an instinctual connection that can only be broken by a bad father.
Peace be with you all. Mayor Mark
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