Mistakes Don't Define Him

By Tajahn

Having a father who’s incarcerated isn’t easy. You miss out on the kind of things most people take for granted—those everyday father-and-son moments that help shape who you are. But even though my dad is locked up, he still does everything he can to be a part of my life.

He reaches out whenever he can—through phone calls, emails, texts, and letters. That may not seem like a lot to some people, but to me, it means everything. He’s doing the best he can to stay connected with me, even from where he is.

A lot of people have opinions about my father. They say he made a selfish choice that got him taken away from me. But I don’t see it that way. People make mistakes. Nobody’s perfect. What matters to me is that he’s trying now—and I see that.

I think very highly of my father. I have the utmost respect for him, even though he’s been gone. The way I see it, he’s still my dad. And he still shows up for me in the ways that he can. That means more than people will ever understand.