Personal Narrative Essay: Tradition to Watch The Sunset

Sunsets aren’t always the end, but rather a way to say a temporary goodbye. When I was younger, my father used to travel a lot for his job, so we started a tradition as a way to say goodbye. When my father would go on business trips, he would be gone for weeks so we made a tradition that the day before he left us would watch the sun go down. We would sit at the field down the road from our house and watch the sunset and watch as the stars fill the sky. I and my dad started this tradition so that I would know that even though he may say goodbye and disappear for a little while just like the sun he would always eventually come back. This tradition has always been important to me because it was my own personal way of saying goodbye to my dad and it allowed for us to have one more father, daughter moment before he left. 

My father would frequently go on business trips all across the country and would be gone for weeks. I would rarely see him and frequently miss him, so when he would come home I would cherish every second of it. Every time he would come home I would try to remember every single feature of his as much as I could from his smooth bald head to his prickly facial hair. When I feel that I was forgetting what he looked like I would go and look at old photo albums filled with old family vacations and wedding photos. Even though my father traveled far places a lot I always knew that if I ever needed him he would be there for me.

Every time my father had to go on a business trip, I and he would watch the sunset on his last day home. An hour and a half before sunset we would pack soft fuzzy blankets and big puffy for when it gets cold. We would pack sweet thick milky hot chocolate and sweet savory snacks such as sugar coated strawberries, chocolate, peanut butter covered pretzels, and skittles. Once we’ve packed we say goodbye to my mom and as we walk out the door my dad would say in his deep smooth voice, “We’ll be back soon in an hour and a half.” As we walk down we can feel the coolness in the evening air and the cold gentle breeze as it goes by. Those few moments where I could just be there in my father’s presence was what I lived for and what I cherished the most.

Once we got to the field we would lay out our blankets and set out all the snacks. We sit down on our soft fluffy blankets but I can still feel the prickly wet grass underneath me. As I take a breath I can smell the damp grass and rain in the air. As I'm enjoying the weather and the smells, the sun begins to set. The sky is filled with orange pink hues and as the sun gets lower blue hues slowly start taking over the sky. I and my father sit there talking while enjoying the color show right before us. After a while its dark and the stars are shining brightly in the sky. The illumines moon lights the world around us as we cherish the last couple of moments we’ll have together in a long time. We head home after a while and go to bed, by the next morning my father is gone as if he was just an illusion. Knowing that this unique tradition is something that I and my dad are able to share makes the time apart not as bad. 

Though how me and my father say goodbye isn’t how most people do it is a tradition that I treasure with all my heart. Being able to say goodbye to my father in a way that is unique to us makes saying goodbye not as painful. This tradition will forever be my favorite because it allows me to show the unique relationship between me and my father while giving us bonding time.