CNF: A soldier's heart will always beat for his family, but fight for his country.

Growing up as a kid, one thing I never got to enjoy was my dad being physically present in my life, as he was hardly around because of the nature of his job. Sometimes he wants to attend my graduation and that of my siblings; he wants to be there to show us how much he cares and how much he loves us, but that is exactly when he will be deployed to somewhere very far such that the distance and what he has to deal with on the road if he tries to attend will stop you from being mad at him for not attending.  [Source](https://unsplash.com/photos/soldiers-walk-through-a-desert-landscape-P1q6rdtVihY) He was a soldier and a father at the same time. It is like having two wives who need you to give them equal attention, but it is impossible to do so because one will definitely get more attention than the other, and the job got more of his attention and more of his time than us, and we had no other choice but to understand. I attend children's celebrations and occasions, and I see how other kids climb up their dad like he is a tree, and he holds their hands. All I wish for at that time is to have my own dad there with me, too, but the job won't let that happen. Whenever he comes home, he just breezes in and then breezes out before you even realize it. The school bus dropped us off in front of the school gate, and we turned to see other kids who were dropped off by their fathers and how he were waving them goodbye. "Wish our dads were civilians too; that way we would have them around at all times." Emmanuel, my childhood friend, will always say whenever we see how other kids who have their father physically present in their lives enjoy his company. "I have a lot I want to do with my dad too, but he is never around; even when he comes home, he does not stay more than a week, and he is redeployed again." I lamented as well as we walked towards the gate. My dad just got home during the weekend but had to prepare again for another deployment. I sat on a wooden chair and watched him iron his uniforms, folding them perfectly into his bag. After that, he picked up his boots and started polishing them. My eyes followed his every move from one end of the sitting room to the other. As much as it hurts to see him leave every now and then, I still admired how he always prepared, making sure that he forgot nothing. "But Dad, do you have to go?" I asked him with a teary eye. "My son, someone has to keep the country safe, and that is where men like myself come in. We do this so that you and other kids can have a better life. It is a must that people must sacrifice their today for the tomorrow of others." My dad explained "Do you understand?" My dad asked. I nodded in agreement even though I did not understand everything he was trying to say, but all I got was the fact that he was putting his life on the line just to make sure that we are safe because once the country is safe and there is law and order, then we are safe too. He is my hero. Even though he was never around physically, he made sure I had a roof over my head and food on my table. Even though he never got to live under the roof for more than two weeks, he made sure to pay the rent whenever it was due, and he made sure I attended one of the best schools.  [Source](https://unsplash.com/photos/a-black-and-white-photo-of-a-police-officer-holding-a-baby-akWqShmulDc) I grew up looking up to him because of how he handles situations; even when people panic, he still stays calm, as he says, "You think clearly with a calm mind." He shoulders the responsibility of being a father and the responsibility of keeping the country safe perfectly; he never allowed the weight of these responsibilities to overwhelm him. He was not physically present but made sure that every responsibility expected of him as a father was carried out swiftly even without being told or reminded. Not all heroes wear capes; some are just fathers trying to give their kids the best life, the type they never had.