My mom took this photo of my dad and me on Thanksgiving, right after I had gotten home from Peace Corps. It’s special because it’s one of the very few photos I know of where my dad is smiling.

For holidays and birthdays, buying gifts for my dad is a really hard thing to do. He is a man who needs nothing because he uses what he has as long as it still works. He’s also a man who doesn’t need things just to have them. If he needs something, he really needs it. It’s really frustrating but it’s also one of the things I admire most about my dad.